GIFT  OF 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 

IN  SEVEN  STAGES 


BY 
JOHN  BRAYSHAW  KAYE 

Author  of  "Vashti,"  "Songs  of 
Lake  Geneva,"  etc. 


BOSTON 
SHERMAN,  FRENCH  &  COMPANY 

1909 


Copyright  1909 
SHERMAN,  FRENCH  6-  COMPANY 


TO  ALL  WHO 
LOVE  CHRIST  AND  HIS  TRUTH 

AND 

HATE  INJUSTICE  AND  PERSECUTION 
THIS  POEM  IS  INSCRIBED 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

PREFACE    1 

STAGE  I 

THE  BETRAYAL,  ARREST,  AND  HEAR- 
ING BEFORE  ANNAS S3 

STAGE  II 
BEFORE  CAIAPHAS 64 

STAGE  III 
BEFORE  THE  SANHEDRIN  ....     79 

STAGE  IV 
BEFORE    PILATE     .......   129 

STAGE  V 
BEFORE     HEROD 141 

STAGE  VI 
AGAIN  BEFORE  PILATE 147 

STAGE  VII 
THE     CRUCIFIXION  .      .  159 


PREFACE 

For  many  years  I  have  contemplated  writing, 
in  the  form  of  a  poem,  what  seems  to  me,  beside 
the  meager  details  given  in  the  Gospels,  the  prob- 
able, or  at  least  not  improbable,  facts  of  the 
procedure  and  the  language  and  conduct  of  all 
concerned  in  that  most  tremendous  and  far- 
reaching  in  results  of  all  legal  —  or  illegal—' 
human  tragedies,  The  Trial  of  Christ. 

The  subject  has  had  a  kind  of  fascination  for 
me,  and  I  have  thought  of  it  much,  but  until 
the  last  two  years,  I  had  found  no  opportunity 
to  enter  upon  the  task.  In  doing  so  at  last,  I 
have  approached  the  subject  from  the  stand- 
point of  the  lawyer,  not  that  of  the  preacher 
or  the  theologian,  yet  in  a  spirit  of  absolute 
reverence  and  that  love  of  truth  (so  far  as 
authorities  show  or  probabilities  to  me  suggest) 
which  was  the  most  noted  characteristic  of  the 
Master  of  Nazareth,  the  Defendant,  who  solely 
relied  upon  truth,  and  was  willing  to  live  or  to 
die  for  it,  as  its  upholding  by  Him  or  ignoring 
by  others  might  seem  to  require  in  His  great 
mission. 

In  attempting  this  great  task,  I  shall  stray 
somewhat  (as  the  evidence  and  the  probabilities 
seem  to  me  to  require)  from  the  beaten  path  in 

[i  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


the  portrayal  of  the  character  and  of  the  mo- 
tives of  Judas  Iscariot,  the  traitor,  who,  I  think 
it  may  be  assumed  without  doubt,  witnessed 
every  phase  of  the  trial  of  his  Master,  from  the 
opening  arraignment  before  Annas,  the  real 
High-Priest,  to  the  closing  condemnation  before 
the  entire  Sanhedrin,  presided  over  by  the  titular 
High-Priest,  Caiaphas.  In  doing  this,  I  shall 
not  attempt  to  palliate  the  real  offence  of  Judas, 
but  to  show,  as  I  believe,  that  he  had  no  desire 
or  thought  of  bringing  about  the  crucifixion,  or 
any  other  corporal  punishment  of  his  Master, 
but  sought  partly  for  his  own  ambitious  ends 
to  place  Christ  in  a  position  where  He  must 
assert  His  supernatural  power  for  His  own 
safety  and  the  perpetuity  of  His  teachings,  and 
in  so  doing  confound  and  overwhelm  His  ene- 
mies and  detractors,  and  thus  establish  right  in 
the  headquarters  of  the  Temple  Hierarchy  the 
conclusiveness  of  Christ's  claim  as  the  Messiah, 
and  at  the  same  time  by  this  master  stroke  set- 
tle on  himself  the  premiership  in  the  Master's 
kingdom,  the  real  nature  of  which  neither  he 
nor  any  other  of  the  Twelve  seemed  at  that  time 
fully  to  understand. 

There  is  probably  no  character  in  history, 
sacred  or  profane,  ancient  or  modern,  against 
whom  great  evil  has  been  charged,  in  which  so 


PREFACE 


much  of  that  charged  evil  seems  to  have  less 
foundation  than  in  the  case  of  Judas  Iscariot. 
This  condition  arises  mostly  from  prejudice,  and 
though  this  prejudice  is  natural  and  there  has 
been  much  to  arouse  it,  prejudice  should  never 
be  allowed  to  usurp  the  premises  of  truth,  or  to 
assume  to  speak  in  its  name.  Once  thoroughly 
aroused  by  a  prominent  advocate,  especially  if 
in  derbgation  of  an  abhorrent  personage,  or  in 
sympathy  with  our  religious  beliefs  or  abstract 
righteousness,  prejudice,  which  is  the  parent 
of  error,  perpetuates  itself,  and  so  is  able  to 
exhibit  on  the  lists  of  its  advocates  the  names  of 
many  great  and  good  men. 

These,  in  the  case  of  Judas  Iscariot,  have 
doubtless  been  influenced  in  most  cases  by  the 
written  assertions  of  others  who  preceded 
them,  and  by  their  own  eagerness  to  add 
their  condemnation  to  so  odious  a  character, 
and  so  also  to  give  voice  to  an  aggressive 
zeal, —  and  all  without  serious  thought  or 
sufficient  investigation.  Yet  this  is  not  the 
teaching  of  Christ.  This  is  not  the  searching 
for,  or  upholding  of,  that  Truth  for  which  He 
died.  There  is  nothing  in  the  Gospels  that  has 
been  so  harped  upon  by  modern  writers,  or  so 
effectively  used  to  make  doubly  black  the  name 
and  character  of  Judas  as  the  merely  abusive 
[8  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


epithet  of  St.  John,  who  bitterly  disliked  Judas 
for  personal  reasons ;  for  Judas,  like  John  him- 
self, had  striven  for  first  place  among  the 
Twelve,  and  had  actually  taken  precedence  of 
John  in  his  place  next  to  Christ  at  the  table  at 
the  Last  Supper,  according  to  Edersheim.1 
The  passage  in  St.  John  to  which  reference  is 
made  is  the  anointing  of  Christ  with  the  con- 
tents of  the  alabaster  box  by  Mary  of  Bethany : 

Then  saith  one  of  his  disciples,  Judas  Iscariot, 
Simon's  son,  which  should  betray  him,  Why  was 
not  this  ointment  sold  for  three  hundred  pence, 
and  given  to  the  poor?  This  he  said,  not  that  he 
cared  for  the  poor;  but  because  he  was  a  thief, 
and  had  the  bag,  and  bare  what  was  put  therein. 
John  12:4-6. 

Now  this  is  the  only  place  in  the  Bible  where 
Judas  is  called  a  thief.  St.  John  was  probably 
an  eye-witness,  but  wrote  this  in  his  old  age  and 
about  forty  years  after  the  event  described.  If 
this  term  used  by  John  was  not  used  as  a  mere 
epithet,  then  the  matters  related,  on  which  it 
was  evidently  based,  not  only  do  not  show  that 
Judas  was  a  thief  (even  in  contemplation),  but 
plainly  imply  the  contrary.  The  ointment  be- 
longed to  Mary.  She  had  not  offered  to  donate 

i"Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah."    Vol.  2,  p. 
493. 

[4] 


PREFACE 

it  to  the  common  treasury.  If  it  might  have 
been  sold  for  three  hundred  pence  and  the  price 
given  to  the  poor,  the  implication  was  that  Mary 
herself  might  have  sold  it  and  given  the  price 
to  the  poor,  not  that  it  should  have  been  turned 
over  to  the  disciples  for  that  purpose.  But 
though  Judas  carried  the  bag,  and  Mary  had 
turned  the  ointment  over  for  the  benefit  of  the 
common  purse,  and  Judas  might  have  appro- 
priated it  for  his  own  use,  would  that  make 
Judas  a  thief?  Judas  never  had  it,  much  less 
the  price  of  it,  and  so  could  not  and  did  not 
steal  it,  and  from  those  premises  at  least  was  not 
a  thief.  But  if  Judas  had  had  a  dishonest  pro- 
pensity, it  does  not  seem  that  the  other  disciples, 
or  the  Master,  would  without  objection,  so  far 
as  known,  have  kept  him  through  the  entire  min- 
istry of  our  Lord  in  the  important  office  of 
treasurer. 

But  Matthew  was  also  a  disciple  and  an  eye- 
witness to  this  same  transaction,  and  writes  at  a 
much  earlier  date  concerning  the  same  an- 
ointing : 

But  when  his  disciples  saw  it  they  had  indigna- 
tion, saying,  To  what  purpose  is  this  waste?  For 
this  ointment  might  have  been  sold  for  much,  and 
given  to  the  poor,  etc.  Matt.  26 : 8,  9,  and  fol- 
lowing. 

[5] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


While  Mark,  who  was  the  scribe  and  reporter 
of  Peter  in  his  evangelical  labors,  and  probably 
got  it  so  from  Peter's  own  lips  not  long  after 
the  crucifixion,  gives  it : 

And  there  were  some  that  had  indignation  within 
themselves,  and  said,  Why  was  this  waste  of  the 
ointment  made?  For  it  might  have  been  sold  for 
more  than  three  hundred  pence,  and  have  been 
given  to  the  poor.  And  they  murmured  against 
her.  Mark  14:4,  5,  and  following. 

So,  according  to  Matthew,  the  disciples  saw 
it  and  they  had  indignation  and  complained  of 
the  waste;  while  according  to  Mark  there  were 
some  that  had  indignation  within  themselves  and 
asked  why  this  waste  of  the  ointment  was  made. 
Now  Matthew's  account  puts  John,  who  was 
also  present,  into  the  position  of  joining  all  the 
others  in  saying  what  John  attributes  to  Judas 
alone,  while  Mark's  account,  which  naturally 
includes  John  as  being  present,  says  only  that 
some  had  indignation,  etc.,  which  might,  or 
might  not,  include  John.  At  all  events,  accord- 
ing to  these  accounts,  there  were  other  disciples 
beside  Judas  who  murmured  against  the  so- 
called  waste,  and  there  seems  to  have  been  no 
protest  against  these  murmurings  by  John  (or 
any  other  disciple)  until  forty  years  afterward, 
[6] 


PREFACE 

when  the  ill  repute  of  Judas  was  on  everyone's 
lips,  when  he  writes  that  one  of  His  disciples, 
Judas  Iscariot,  Simon's  son,  which  should  be- 
tray Him,  complained  of  the  waste,  etc.  It 
may  be,  as  John  states,  that  Judas  did  the  talk- 
ing or  most  of  it,  but  it  is  very  evident  that  all 
the  other  disciples  joined  or  acquiesced  in  the 
complaint  about  the  waste.  But  there  is  a  still 
more  conclusive  proof  than  these  to  show  that 
John  used  the  word  thief  as  he  applied  it  to 
Judas  merely  as  a  bitter  epithet,  and  that  he 
was  wrong  or  mistaken  in  his  assumed  motives 
of  Judas,  and  that  is  the  position  and  the  word 
of  the  Master  Himself. 

All  accounts  agree  on  the  stated  motive  of 
the  objection,  by  whomsoever  made,  and  there  is 
no  substantial  difference  in  their  wording.  Let 
us  again  take  John's  version : 

Why  was  not  this  ointment  sold  for  three  hun- 
dred pence,  and  given  to  the  poor? 

Parenthetically,  before  we  look  at  the  answer 
of  Christ,  let  us  repeat  John's  pitiful  assump- 
tion: 

(This  he  said  not  that  he  cared  for  the  poor; 
but  because  he  was  a  thief  and  had  the  bag  and 
bare  what  was  put  therein).  Then  said  Jesus, 
Let  her  alone :  against  the  day  of  my  burying  hath 

[7] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


she  kept  this.  For  the  poor  always  ye  have  with 
you;  but  me  ye  have  not  always.  John  12:7—8. 

From  the  form  of  the  pronoun  ye  it  is  mani- 
fest that  the  Master  addressed  Himself  to  all  of 
the  disciples,  not  to  Judas  alone.  More  to  the 
point,  however,  Jesus  seems  to  have  assumed  the 
perfect  good  faith  of  the  protest  and  recognized 
its  validity  under  ordinary  conditions,  but  ob- 
viated its  force  by  one  of  His  most  celebrated 
aphorisms,  obvious  to  all  mankind  on  call  of 
their  attention,  yet  too  frequently  overlooked: 
"The  poor  always  ye  have  with  you;"  (and 
therefore  they  might  always  be  helped  by  the 
charitably  inclined)  "  but  me  ye  have  not  al- 
ways." Christ  was  unfailing  in  His  perception 
and  denunciation  of  falsehood  and  hypocrisy  in 
every  quarter.  Would  He  have  let  it  pass  and 
assumed  that  it  did  not  exist  in  one  or  more  of 
His  chosen  ones  on  an  occasion  like  this?  This 
query  admits  of  but  one  answer:  He  would 
have  perceived  their  wickedness,  and  repeated,  in 
effect,  probably :  "  Why  tempt  ye  me,  ye  hypo- 
crites?" (Matt.  22:18.)  The  evidence  then 
seems  clear  that  the  passage,  particularly  first 
above  quoted  from  John,  was  dictated,  if  not  by 
abhorrence,  by  anger  and  resentment.  That 
John,  with  all  his  lovable  qualities  and  general 

[8] 


PREFACE 


sweetness  of  character,  was  subject  to  the  weak- 
ness last  named,  as  well  as  to  a  love  of  author- 
ity, a  passion  for  revenge,  and  great  earthly 
ambition,  is  well  shone  in  the  instances  of  his 
wishing  to  call  down  fire  from  heaven  to  destroy 
the  inhospitable  Samaritan  village  (Luke 
9:54),  the  forbidding  of  one  not  a  disciple  to 
cast  out  devils  in  Christ's  name  (Mark  9 :  38  and 
Luke  9:49),  and  his  clamoring  like  the  others 
for  a  high  place  in  the  coming  kingdom  (Mark 
10:  35,  37),  while  his  egotism  is  in  no  wise  cov- 
ered by  his  oft-repeated  reference  to  himself  as 
the  disciple  whom  Jesus  loved.  All  these  little 
shortcomings  of  his,  save  the  last,  seem  to 
have  been  forgotten  by  John,  as  one  may  look 
in  vain  for  mention  of  them  in  his  Gospel; 
while  the  Synoptists  seem  to  have  been  free  to 
admit  and  record  most  of  the  failings  of  all  the 
disciples,  and  Matthew,  who  was  there,  says  that 
at  the  time  of  the  arrest:  "Then  all  the  dis- 
ciples forsook  him  and  fled."  (Matt.  26:56.) 
The  Synoptists  all  state  that  Peter  followed 
afar  off,  but  omit  to  state  that  John  also  fol- 
lowed,—  an  oversight  which  John  corrects  in 
this  wise:  "And  Simon  Peter  followed  Jesus, 
and  so  did  another  disciple."  (John  18:15), 
but  omits  against  the  evidence  to  state  that  it 
was  "afar  off."  All  this  goes  to  show  that 
[9] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


John,  even  in  his  old  age,  was  subject  to  many 
of  the  common  foibles  of  humanity,  even  to  his 
reverent  use  of  hyperbole,  exhibited  in  the  last 
verse  of  his  truly  wonderful  Gospel.  Indeed, 
John's  luxuriant  humanism  as  shown  by  the  en- 
tire Gospel  record  and  emphasized  by  the  extra 
antagonism  to  Judas  and  the  evident  bias  to- 
ward himself  of  the  author  of  the  Fourth  Gospel 
is,  in  my  estimation,  the  strongest  refutation  of 
the  critics,  and  seems  to  establish  beyond  doubt 
that  the  author  was  none  other  than  John  of  the 
Twelve  and  sometime  companion  of  Judas. 

Yet  the  passage  quoted  from  John  seems  to 
have  served  as  a  foundation  for  most  of  the  un- 
founded charges  against  Judas.  For  instance, 
Rev.  Matthew  Henry  more  than  two  hundred 
years  ago  in  his  "  Exposition  with  Practical 
Observations  of  the  Gospel  According  to  St. 
John,"  under  Chapter  XII,  among  several  pages 
given  to  the  denunciation  of,  and  moralizing  on, 
the  character  of  Judas,  says :  "  We  have  little 
reason  to  be  fond  of  the  bag,  or  proud  of  it,  for 
at  best  we  are  but  stewards  of  it,  and  it  was 
,Judas,  one  of  an  ill  character  and  born  to  be 
hanged  (pardon  the  expression),  that  was  stew- 
ard of  it;  the  prosperity  of  fools  destroys 
them.  Being  trusted  with  the  bag,  he  was  a 
thief,  i.  e.,  he  had  a  thievish  disposition.  The 

[  10] 


PREFACE 


reigning  love  of  money  is  heart-theft,  as  much 
as  anger  and  revenge  is  heart-murder.  Or  per- 
haps he  had  been  really  guilty  of  embezzling  his 
Master's  stores,  and  converting  them  to  his  own 
use,  which  were  to  be  given  to  the  public  flock. 
And  some  conjecture  that  he  was  now  contriving 
to  fill  his  pockets  and  then  run  away,  etc."  It 
will  be  hard  to  discover  the  logic  of  why,  being 
trusted  with  the  bag,  Judas  was  a  thief,  or  had 
a  thievish  disposition.  This  seems  like  an  at- 
tempt of  the  author  to  excuse  St.  John's  asser- 
tion, and  still  shows  that  it  was  only  an  epithet, 
and  so  far  as  Gospel  authority  goes  is  wholly 
without  support. 

About  this  same  matter,  Canon  Farrar  writes, 
in  part,  on  this  anointing  of  Christ :  "  But 
there  was  one  present  to  whom  on  every  ground 
the  act  was  odious  and  repulsive.  There  is  no 
vice  at  once  so  absorbing  and  unreasonable,  and 
so  degrading,  as  the  vice  of  avarice,  and  avarice 
was  the  besetting  sin  in  the  dark  soul  of  the 
traitor  Judas."  l 

Aside  from  the  statement  of  St.  John  and  this 
one  act  itself  (of  Judas,  with  the  other  disciples 
all  assenting),  I  find  no  authority  in  the  Gospels 
or  elsewhere  in  the  New  Testament  for  this 
declaration,  yet  most  of  the  modern  writers  on 

i  Farrar's  "  Life  of  Christ."    Vol.  II,  p.  496. 

r  11  i 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


this  subject  have  enlarged  on  this  besetting  sin. 

But  Farrar  continues :  "  That  little  touch 
about  its  being  '  given  to  the  poor '  is  a  very 
instructive  one.  It  was  probably  the  veil  used 
by  Judas  to  half  conceal  even  from  himself  the 
grossness  of  his  own  motives  —  the  fact  that  he 
was  a  petty  thief,  and  really  wished  the  charge 
of  this  money  because  it  would  have  enabled  him 
to  add  to  his  own  store,"  etc.1 

Farrar  here  boldly  assumes  it  to  be  the  fact 
that  Judas  was  a  petty  thief,  and  wished  the 
charge  of  this  money  (that  never  existed  except 
in  the  imagination  of  his  accusers)  that  he 
might  add  to  his  own  store.  Of  these  assertions 
by  this  eminent  churchman,  theologian,  and 
scholar,  I  believe  from  what  I  am  able  to  dis- 
cover, and  from  the  surroundings,  there  is 
neither  proof  nor  probability. 

In  the  "Life  of  Jesus  the  Christ"  by  our 
own  Beecher,  though  not  prepared  by  him,  as  it 
seems  to  have  been  added  in  the  completing  of 
the  second  volume  after  Beecher's  death,  it  is 
said,  referring  to  the  same  matter:  "For  the 
pretense  upon  which  Judas  had  condemned  this 
proceeding  was  that  this  ointment  might  have 
been  sold  for  three  hundred  pence  and  given  to 
the  poor.  John  rather  briefly  and  curtly  says  of 

i  Id.,  p.  497. 

[  12  ] 


PREFACE 


Judas :  *  He  said  this  because  he  was  a  thief 
and  carried  the  bag.'  It  was  to  have  gone  into 
the  treasury;  and  if,  as  he  thought  it  seemed 
likely,  there  was  to  be  a  dispersion  of  this  little 
band,  in  the  scattering  he  would  carry  away 
what  was  in  the  bag.  This  last  emphatic  title 
would  seem  to  do  away  with  all  the  fine-spun 
theories  which  would  alleviate  the  guilt  of 
Judas.  He  was  an  extremely  avaricious  man; 
avarice  was  his  leading  trait;  he  found  fault 
with  tokens  of  affection  for  avaricious  reasons 
and  finally  sold  his  Master  for  thirty  pieces  of 
silver."  1 

On  the  same  subject,  Edersheim  in  his  "  The 
Life  and  Times  of  Jesus  the  Messiah  "  in  part 
has  this  to  say :  "  It  is  ever  the  light  which 
throws  the  shadows  of  objects,  and  this  deed  of 
faith  and  love  now  cast  the  features  of  Judas 
in  gigantic  dark  outlines  against  the  scene.  He 
knew  of  Christ's  betrayal,  and  hated  the  more; 
she  knew  the  nearness  of  His  precious  death, 
and  loved  the  more.  It  was  not  that  he  cared 
for  the  poor,  when,  taking  the  mask  of  charity, 
he  simulated  anger  that  such  costly  ointment 
had  not  been  sold  and  the  price  given  to  the 
poor.  For  he  was  essentially  a  thief,  and  covet- 
ousness  was  the  underlying  master-passion  of  his 

i  Vol.  II,  pp.  214,  215. 

[  13] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


soul.  This  money  claimed  for  the  poor  would 
have  been  used  only  for  himself.  Yet  such  was 
his  pretense  of  righteousness,  such  his  influence 
as  a  man  of  prudence  among  the  disciples,  and 
such  their  sad  weakness,  that  they,  at  least  some, 
expressed  indignation  among  themselves,  and 
against  her  who  had  done  this  deed  of  love, 
etc."  l 

Where  did  John  stand  in  this  expression  of 
indignation  against  Mary?  Surely  he  must 
have  either  joined  in  it,  "or  remained  silent 
when  he  should  have  spoken  "  to  protest  against 
it.  Yet  it  was  on  John's  unsupported  asser- 
tion written  forty  years  after  the  event  that 
the  author  quoted  states  that  Judas  was  es- 
sentially a  thief,  and  that  the  money  claimed 
for  the  poor  would  have  been  used  only  by  him- 
self. The  very  apparent  difficulty  to  any  one 
who  will  take  the  trouble  to  think  about  this  as- 
sumption is  that  no  money  was  claimed  for  the 
poor  or  for  any  one  else.  Mr.  Edersheim  does 
say,  however,  on  good  authority,  that  at  least 
some  of  the  other  disciples  expressed  indignation 
among  themselves  at  what  was  done  by  Mary. 
Aside  from  the  Master,  Mary  seems  to  have 
been  the  only  one  of  the  company  who  believed, 
or  at  least  realized,  that  He  was  about  to  suffer 

i  Vol.  II,  pp.  359,  360. 

[  I*] 


PREFACE 

death,  and  this  seems  to  account  for  their  at- 
titude on  that  occasion.  But  Edersheim  ac- 
counts for  it  on  the  ground  of  the  influence  of 
Judas  as  a  man  of  prudence,  etc.,  and  of  their 
own  weakness.  Judas  had  been  the  treasurer 
of  the  little  band  during  the  whole  Ministry  of 
Christ, —  nearly  three  years.  If  Judas  were  a 
thief,  if  he  were  dishonest,  avaricious,  looking 
after  self,  and  all  the  other  things  charged, 
which  would  unfit  him  for  his  position,  the  dis- 
ciples must  have  known  it  by  that  time,  and  his 
influence  as  a  man  of  prudence  would  be  less 
than  nothing  with  them.  That  Judas  held  his 
place  as  treasurer  and  was  intrusted  to  dis- 
tribute alms  to  the  poor  at  the  order  of  the 
Master,  even  up  to  the  occasion  of  the  Last 
Supper,  is  shown  casually  by  John  himself  in  a 
passage  broadly  inconsistent  with  the  one 
quoted,  when  Christ  said  to  Judas,  "  That  thou 
doest,  do  quickly  " : 

Now  no  man  at  the  table  knew  for  what  intent 
he  spake  this  unto  him.  For  some  of  them  thought, 
because  Judas  had  the  bag,  that  Jesus  had  said 
unto  him,  Buy  those  things  that  we  have  need  of 
against  the  feast;  or,  that  he  should  give  some- 
thing to  the  poor.  John  13:  28-29. 

So   Edersheim   says   in   the   passage   quoted 
[  15  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


from  his  book,  "  Judas  knew  of  Christ's  betrayal 
at  that  time."  I  cannot  find  in  the  sacred  text 
that  until  after  the  anointing  at  Bethany 
Judas  had  contemplated,  or  even  thought  of,  a 
betrayal  of  the  Master. 

Plainly  Judas  has  enough  to  answer  for  to 
his  God  and  to  history  without  any  draft 
against  him  on  the  imagination  of  men,  a  draft 
which  they  probably  justify  on  the  theory  that 
the  extra  degradation  of  Judas  adds  to  the  ex- 
altation of  Christ,  a  principle  that  brought  into 
being  the  Spanish  Inquisition,  that  lighted  the 
Smithfield  fires,  that  burned  Servetus  at  the 
stake,  and  that  for  more  than  nineteen  hundred 
years  has  been  pursued  by  many  of  those  call- 
ing themselves  Christians  against  the  Jews  for 
what  their  fathers  did  or  omitted  to  do  many 
scores  of  generations  ago. 

Another  instance  of  how  the  epithet  of  John 
has  furnished  modern  writers  with  an  assumed 
indictment  against  Judas  is  shown  from  two 
passages  in  "  Life  and  Words  of  Christ "  by 
Dr.  C.  Geikie,  speaking  of  Judas :  "  Once  a 
disciple  from  honest  anxiety,  he  continued  one, 
in  outward  form,  as  an  adventurer.  Gain  be- 
came a  passion  with  him,  till  under  the  very 
eyes  of  his  Master  he  embezzled  as  treasurer  the 
petty  funds  in  his  hands.  To  the  mean  and 
[  16  ] 


PREFACE 


sordid  heart  of  Judas  the  bounty  of  Mary  had 
sufficed  to  kindle  smouldering  resentment  and 
disloyalty  to  a  flame.  If  ruin  were  certain,  he 
would  profit  if  he  could  before  it  was  all  over. 
If  Jesus  must  fall  into  the  hands  of  His  enemies, 
he  might  as  well  get  money  by  what  was  un- 
avoidable. Had  not  He,  argued  the  diseased 
spirit,  disappointed  him,  led  him  about  for  years 
in  hope  of  gain  in  the  end,  and  had  he  not  now 
told  him  that  the  only  inheritance  he  could  ex- 
pect was  poverty  and  suffering?  He  would  go 
to  the  high-priests  and  see  what  could  be 
done."  1 

As  to  Judas  knowing  of  Christ's  betrayal  at 
the  time  of  this  anointing,  as  asserted  by  Eder- 
sheim,  that  could  have  been  nothing  more  than 
an  opinion,  and  is  quite  contrary  to  the  opin- 
ion or  conclusion  of  Canon  Farrar,  referred  to 
in  Vol.  2,  p.  555,  footnote,  as  follows:  "2. 
We  conclude  that  the  loss  of  the  three  hundred 
pence  was  the  cause  of  the  betrayal,  from  the 
pointed  manner  in  which  the  latter  is  narrated 
in  immediate  proximity  to  the  former,  etc." 
Is  not  this  a  strange  conclusion?  It  does  not 
appear  that  Judas  or  any  of  the  other  disciples 
ever  knew  of  this  ointment  owned  by  Mary  till 
after  the  anointing  of  our  Savior  was  well  be- 

iVol.  II,  pp.  459,  460. 

[17] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


gun,  and  possibly  over,  and  when  Mary  was  wip- 
ing His  feet  with  her  hair.  So  that  if  the 
avarice  of  Judas  was  excited,  it  was  after  the 
object  of  it  was  expended  and  even  the  recep- 
tacle, the  alabaster  box,  broken.  When  Judas 
then  protested  against  the  waste,  it  was  after 
what  he  termed  the  waste  had  been  committed 
and  immediately  after  he  first  knew  that  the 
ointment  had  existed.  There  was  then  no  loss 
of  three  hundred  pence,  and  the  thing  itself, 
which  belonged  to  Mary,  and  according  to 
Judas  might  have  been  sold  for  that  amount, 
was  consumed.  Judas  could  not  have  betrayed 
his  Master  because  of  the  loss  of  the  three  hun- 
dred pence  which  he  never  had,  and  in  the  nature 
of  things  never  could  have  come  into  the  pos- 
session of,  which  in  fact  never  existed,  and  at 
the  time  of  the  protest  had  no  existing  com- 
modity to  base  its  value  upon.  How  then 
could  it  be  fairly  concluded  that  the  loss  of 
the  three  hundred  pence  was  the  cause  of  the 
betrayal? 

Judas  betrayed  his  Master;  whatever  the 
cause  of  that  heinous  act  may  have  been,  it 
seems  clear  that  it  could  not  have  been  the  one 
suggested.  My  own  opinion  of  the  cause  of 
this  monstrous  act  of  Judas  (and  it  is  not  new) 
is  further  disclosed  as  assumed  and  related  by 
[  18  ] 


PREFACE 

Judas  himself  in  what  follows,  in  "  The  Trial 
of  Christ." 

In  any  trial  before  the  Sanhedrin,  every  mem- 
ber of  that  body  was  in  some  sense  an  advocate, 
and  had  the  right  to  speak  before  the  whole 
court  for  or  against  the  accused,  as  he  felt  dis- 
posed. This  fact  is  conclusively  shown  by  the 
adjuration  of  Caiaphas  and  his  declaration  that 
the  Master  had  spoken  blasphemy  and  his 
"  What  further  need  have  we  of  witnesses?  Be- 
hold now  ye  have  heard  his  blasphemy."  (Matt. 
26:  65-66.)  All  this  was  highly  argumentative 
and  against  the  Accused.  The  same  is  shown 
by  the  successful  advocacy  of  the  Apostles  by 
Gamaliel  before  the  Council  or  Sanhedrin,  re- 
corded in  Acts  5 : 27-40,  in  consequence  of 
which  the  Sanhedrin  only  beat  them  and  let  them 
go.  As  a  rule,  the  younger  members  voted  first, 
under  the  theory  that  they  might  not  be  in- 
fluenced by  the  expressed  views  of  their  older 
and  more  experienced  brothers  of  the  Sanhed- 
rin. 

It  is  not  likely,  in  so  momentous  a  matter 
as  the  trial  of  Christ,  that  the  most  learned  and 
influential  members  at  least  would  not  avail 
themselves  of  this  right  to  be  heard,  while  the 
younger  and  less  experienced  would  rather  avoid 
the  responsibility  of  putting  themselves  forward 
[19] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


as  advocates  in  so  tremendous  an  issue,  and  de- 
pend on  their  votes  only  to  express  their  will. 

I  have  assumed  accordingly  that  short  ad- 
dresses were  made,  alternately  as  in  a  debate, 
pro  and  con,  by  several  of  the  leading  Sanhe- 
drists,  and  have  given  them  as  they  fell  upon  the 
ears  of  the  listening  Judas.  They  are  imag- 
inary in  their  wording  and  order,  of  course; 
but  that  they  contain  the  matter  and  the  facts 
suggested  by  the  situation  on  both  sides  to 
those  present,  learned  in  the  Law,  or  well  stocked 
in  the  trained  casuistry  of  the  pending  inquiry 
—  an  inquiry  or  prosecution  weak  in  its  af- 
firmative facts,  but  strong  and  confident  in  its 
affirmative  bias  —  there  can  be  little  doubt. 

There  are  those  who  seem  to  think  of  Nico- 
demus  as  a  timid  man,  lacking  in  force  of  char- 
acter and  physical  and  moral  courage,  on  the 
ground  that  he  went  to  confer  with  Jesus  at 
night.  To  me  it  seems  that  no  charge  could 
be  more  utterly  unfounded.  Nicodemus  was 
deeply  interested  in  the  personality  and  the  doc- 
trine and  teachings  of  the  Master.  What  more 
natural  and  proper  than  that  he  should  wish  to 
see  and  converse  with  Christ  alone,  and  not 
when  He  was  absorbed  and  fully  occupied  in 
teaching  a  great  throng,  or  engaged  in  the  heal- 
ing of  their  infirmities?  At  night,  and  alone 
[  20  ] 


PREFACE 

with  Him,  Nicodemus  could,  as  he  did,  go  at 
once  to  the  subject  in  his  own  mind.  That  Nic- 
odemus did  not  lack  in  courage  is  too  well  at- 
tested by  his  challenge  to  the  Pharisees  to  admit 
question:  "  Doth  our  law  judge  any  man,  be- 
fore it  hear  him,  and  know  what  he  doeth?  " 
(John  7:51.)  Can  there  be  any  doubt,  then, 
that  when  they  did  go  through  the  mockery  of  a 
trial  of  Him,  Nicodemus  having  authority  and 
the  right  to  protest  against  its  injustice,  would 
raise  his  voice  against  it  and  the  strange  illegal- 
ity of  their  procedure?  And  is  not  this  made 
still  more  probable  by  the  fact  that  when  it  was 
all  over,  and  nothing  to  be  gained,  socially  or  fi- 
nancially, and  everything  to  be  lost,  Nicodemus 
still  showed  his  sympathy  and  adherence  to  His 
cause  in  openly  assisting  Joseph  of  Arimathea 
in  the  anointing  and  burial  of  His  body? 

The  same  reasoning  applies  to  Joseph  of  Ari- 
mathea, for  although  he  is  spoken  of  as  a  secret 
disciple,  yet  when  the  hour  of  danger  and  trial 
came,  he  was  an  open  adherent,  and  practically 
in  the  presence  of  the  whole  madly-excited 
priestly  hierarchy  went  to  Pilate  openly  to  beg 
leave  of  him  to  take  down  from  the  Cross  and 
care  for  and  bury  the  body  of  his  Master,  an 
exhibition  of  courage  and  faithfulness  not 
equaled  by  any  of  the  Twelve,  with  the  possible 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


exception  of  John,  while  in  a  worldly  sense  he 
had  vastly  more  to  lose  than  the  latter.  It 
seems  highly  probable,  then,  that  with  his  right, 
his  opportunity,  and  his  established  courage  to 
befriend  Jesus,  he  would  not  fail  to  raise  his 
voice  in  His  behalf  in  the  shamefully  irregular 
trial  before  the  Sanhedrin. 

As  to  Gamaliel,  it  is  not  to  be  doubted  that 
he  was  present  at  the  trial  before  the  Sanhedrin, 
for  it  seems  that  all  the  members  had  been  no- 
tified and  the  whole  council  held  a  consultation, 
and  he  was  an  eminent  member  of  that  body. 
It  is  on  record  that  Gamaliel,  though  not  ex- 
actly friendly,  was  still  deeply  impressed  by  the 
doings,  the  teachings,  and  the  doctrine  of 
Christ.  He  was  also  a  calm  and  thoughtful 
man,  learned  in  the  Law,  fair-minded  and  con- 
scientious as  a  member  of  the  trial  court.  His 
attitude  may  be  fairly  inferred  to  have  been  as 
expressed  by  him  shortly  after  the  crucifixion 
(Acts  5:38,  39),  and  it  is  almost  certain  that 
he  would  have  still  more  fully  and  forcibly  ex- 
pressed his  moderation  and  sense  of  justice  at 
the  trial  of  Christ,  a  matter  involving  life  or 
death  to  the  accused,  involving  the  Master,  not 
His  disciples. 

It  seems  highly  probable  that  it  was  im- 
mediately after  the  trial  and  condemnation  of 
[  22  ] 


PREFACE 


Christ  by  the  Sanhedrin,  and  before  that  body 
had  adjourned,  that  Judas  in  the  agony  of  his 
remorse  and  the  frenzy  of  his  disappointment, 
in  defiance  of  all  consequences,  and  to  bring 
home  to  the  Sanhedrin  official  notice  of  his  brib- 
ing by  some  of  its  members  (the  chief  priests) 
threw  down  before  them,  the  whole  Sanhedrin, 
the  hateful  thirty  pieces  of  silver.  Judas  then 
supposed,  as  did  most  of  the  Sanhedrists,  that 
on  their  condemnation,  Pilate  would  at  once 
sentence  his  Master  to  the  Cross.  Those  who 
had  given  the  bribe  to  Judas  were  chief  priests 
(Matt.  26:14-16;  Mark  14:10-11;  Luke  22: 
3-6).  That  all  the  chief  priests  were  members 
of  the  Sanhedrin  is  made  clear  by  Matthew  27 : 
1.  That  they  were  all  present  there  can  be 
no  doubt.  That  it  was  the  proper  time  and 
place  for  Judas  to  expose  the  bribery,  and  of- 
fered the  chance  to  throw  the  court  into  con- 
fusion, and  possibly  cause  a  revocation  of  the 
Master's  sentence  is  evident.  It  is  further 
probable  that  had  not  the  bribery  been  thus  pub- 
licly exposed,  the  world  would  never  have  known 
the  chief  priests'  part  in  it.  But  Judas  had 
miscalculated  the  Sanhedrists.  The  great  ma- 
jority of  them  were  as  guilty  of  injustice  as 
the  chief  priests  who  weighed  out  the  petty 
bribe  to  him. 

[23  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


In  the  matter  of  the  several  mockings  and 
revilings  to  which  Christ  was  subjected  during 
the  progress  of  His  trial,  it  seems  probable  that 
in  its  verbal  insolence  and  spoken  and  acted 
mockeries,  though  not  in  physical  outrage,  the 
one  organized  at  the  instance  of  Herod  was  the 
most  ingeniously  debasing  or  provoking  in  a 
human  sense,  but  not  the  most  brutal.  It  seems 
to  have  been  turned  into  a  public  spectacle,  a 
moving,  clamorous  and  hilarious  pageant  in  its 
shameless  progress  through  the  streets  back  to 
the  court  of  Pilate.  The  lead  in  it  was  taken 
by  the  coarse  soldiery  and  the  idle  courtiers  of 
Herod,  people  who  knew  little  or  nothing  of, 
and  so  cared  nothing  for,  the  recorded  utter- 
ances of  the  Jewish  prophets.  The  deriders 
took  their  cue  from  the  shouted  charges  of  the 
claim  of  kingship,  and  triumphal  entry  of  Christ 
into  Jerusalem,  made  by  the  priestly  leaders 
and  fiery  zealots  before  Herod,  and  saw  in  it 
only  a  basis  for  ridicule,  and  an  occasion  for 
derisive  mockery,  coarse  merriment,  and  shame- 
less witticisms. 

It  was  not  an  occasion  of  merriment  with  the 
Jews.  For  they  learned  it  was  in  some  sense  a 
making  light  of  their  faith,  their  present  earnest 
concern,  and  prophetic  history ;  while  the  giving 
to  Christ  the  title  and  mock  adoration  of  King 
[24] 


PREFACE 

of  the  Jews  was  looked  upon  as  a  mockery  of 
these  leading  Jews  themselves.  It  seems  likely 
that  this  scoffing  and  derision  in  public  by 
Herod's  people  suggested  the  further  crowning, 
after  His  final  reluctant  condemnation  by  Pilate, 
by  the  Roman  legionaries,  before  only  them- 
selves and  for  their  own  entertainment,  in 
which  the  blows  and  the  spitting  figured  so 
shamefully. 

It  is  probable  that  the  same  gorgeous  robe, 
if  not  the  same  crown  of  thorns,  was  employed 
as  in  the  mocking  pageant  from  Herod.  In 
this  last  brutal  spectacle  it  is  certain  that  Pilate 
had  no  heart,  and  gave  no  direct  encouragement, 
but,  as  in  all  his  half-hearted  better  impulses 
of  the  day,  he  did  not  absolutely  forbid  it,  fear- 
ing perhaps  to  break  a  precedent  and  deprive 
his  soldiers  of  a  little  brutal  pastime. 

In  the  following  poem  it  has  not  been  thought 
best  to  cite  notes  or  references:  first,  because 
in  a  work  of  this  kind  they  tend  to  interrupt  or 
break  the  reader's  current  of  thought  and  feel- 
ing; and  second,  most  of  the  implied  authority 
for  matters  stated  in  the  text  being  the  Bible, 
any  person  warmly  interested  in  any  question 
suggested,  in  these  times  of  concordances  and 
word  books,  will  naturally  turn  to  them  in  search 
of  the  basis  for  the  textual  thought,  and  in  this 
[25  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


accepted  invitation,  be  brought  to  that  vast 
storehouse  of  literary  excellence,  worldly  wisdom, 
and  spiritual  insight,  the  Scriptures,  to  which  he 
will  thereafter  be  the  more  likely  to  return  again 
and  again. 

To  obtain  the  sidelights  of  different  views  in 
elaborating  the  Gospel  story  of  the  Trial,  which, 
as  is  well  known,  is  very  brief  in  its  detailed  in- 
cidents, even  when  one  combines  the  narratives 
of  the  Synoptists  and  of  St.  John,  as  one  must 
to  get  that  story  complete,  I  have  read  with  in- 
terest and  some  diligence  the  Lives  of  Christ  — 
with  varying  titles  —  hereinbefore  referred  to, 
a  translation  of  the  "  Life  of  Jesus  "  by  Renan, 
a  legendary  and  apocryphal  Life  by  Donehoo, 
"  The  Death  of  Christ "  by  Denny,  "  The  Trial 
of  Jesus "  by  Giovanni  Rosadi,  "  The  Light 
of  the  World"  by  Edwin  Arnold,  beside  what 
little  I  could  gather  from  the  Cyclopedias  and 
from  Josephus,  Talmudic  extracts,  and  many 
miscellaneous  sources.  But  above  all,  and  as 
the  basis  of  all,  I  have  relied  on  the  four  Gospels 
and  that  excellent  aid  to  their  study,  "  A  Har- 
mony of  the  Gospels  "  by  Stevens  and  Burton. 

I  owe  something  to  all  of  these  modern  writers 
in  the  way  of  historical  details  and  suggested  sit- 
uations, but  so  far  as  many  of  the  incidents  are 
concerned,  I  cannot  agree  with  any  of  them, 
[  26] 


PREFACE 


though  in  most  things  I  differ  from  them  hardly 
more  than  they  differ  from  one  another.  This 
of  course  must  necessarily  be  so,  as  long  as 
men  have  to  go  for  some  of  their  material  into 
the  field  of  conjecture  and  seeming  probability. 
For  historical  incidents  and  situations  I  am 
probably  more  indebted  to  Canon  Farrar  than 
to  any  of  the  others  named,  but  gratefully  ac- 
knowledge my  indebtedness  to  all  for  the  full 
value  received  from  each. 

In  dealing  with  the  Trial  of  Christ,  I  have 
treated  it  as  occurring  at  six  different  places, 
and  at  seven  different  intervals,  in  seven  dif- 
ferent stages,  ending  with  and  including  the 
Crucifixion.  Ordinarily  the  execution  cannot 
be  properly  termed  a  part  of  a  trial,  but  in 
some  sense  at  least  this  was  not  the  case  with 
the  Crucifixion  of  Christ.  His  prosecutors  (and 
they  included  many  of  the  Jewish  hierarchy 
and  part  of  the  members  of  the  Sanhedrin  which 
had  first  condemned  Him)  were  not  satisfied 
with  the  final  condemnation  by  Pilate,  but  must 
needs  follow  Him  with  taunts  and  jeers  and  bit- 
ter reproaches  and  insult  to  the  foot  of  the 
Cross,  and  even  ceased  not  when  in  agony  He 
was  nailed  upon  it. 

It  seems  almost  incredible  that  this  can  be 
true.  Bodily,  to  the  sufferer  it  mattered  little, 
[27  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


but  mentally  and  spiritually  it  was  the  most 
searching  and  terrible  part  of  the  awful  trial 
or  ordeal  through  which  the  Christ  passed  in 
the  whole  seven  stages  of  the  dreadful  inquisi- 
tion, which  ended  only  with  His  death. 

In  writing  of  these  things,  nothing  can  be 
further  from  my  mind  than  the  entertaining 
of  any  ill  will  or  prejudice  on  this  account 
against  the  Jews  of  to-day.  If  the  Jewish  au- 
thorities of  that  day  really  believed  Christ  was 
an  impostor,  it  is  easy  enough  to  imagine  why 
they  should  wish  to  punish  Him;  but  their  evi- 
dent self-interest,  the  intense  bitterness,  and  un- 
usual and  unjust  procedure  all  seem  to  point 
out  the  impossibility  of  such  belief. 

In  some  regards,  the  Jewish  people  must  chal- 
lenge the  wonder  and  the  admiration  of  the 
world.  Once  the  chosen  people  of  God,  greatly 
favored  for  their  good  works  in  God's  name, 
and  as  severely  punished  for  their  delinquencies, 
suffering  as  they  have  suffered  unjust  persecu- 
tions and  intolerable  wrongs  at  the  hands  of 
other  peoples  for  nearly  two  thousand  years, 
without  a  country,  a  government,  or  a  rallying 
place,  dispersed  among  all  the  peoples  of  all  the 
world,  and  persecuted  and  abused  to  a  certain 
extent  by  all,  yet  they  have  flourished  and  grown 
[28] 


PREFACE 


rich  in  substance  and  increased  in  numbers. 
They  are  still  a  "  peculiar  people,"  perhaps  still, 
in  a  sense,  God's  people,  as  they  were  from  Abra- 
ham down. 

One  of  the  strange  but  evident  things  is  that 
had  the  Jews  as  a  people  accepted  Christ  and 
His  teachings  when  He  was  on  earth,  there 
would  have  been  no  Jews,  no  Jewish  people,  to- 
day. It  has  been  and  still  is  the  hope  of  Chris- 
tianity that  the  Jews  may  come  at  last  to  fully 
believe  that  the  Christ  was  and  is  their  hoped- 
for  and  true  Messiah,  and  to  embrace  that  faith 
which  He  sought  to  teach  them.  Yet  if  such 
shall  come  to  be  a  fact,  it  means  that  Judaism 
must  die,  and  with  the  extinction  of  their  ancient 
faith,  its  peculiar  rites,  sacraments,  and  cere- 
monies, there  could  be  nothing  to  obstruct  their 
intermarrying  with  the  peoples  of  all  the  coun- 
tries in  which  they  reside,  and  the  consequent 
assimilation  with  these  peoples,  so  that  in  a  few 
generations  the  Jews  as  a  distinct  people  would 
disappear,  and  be  known  no  more  except  in 
history.  This,  thought  alone  must  exercise  a 
mighty  influence  with  the  Jewish  people.  Once 
the  dread  of  all  the  peoples  with  whom  they 
came  in  hostile  contact  on  account  of  their  de- 
clared and  admitted  favor  with  God,  they  have 
[29] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


for  nearly  two  thousand  years  been,  to  the 
shame  of  Christendom  and  the  whole  world,  the 
butt  and  buffer  of  the  nations. 

The  question  of  the  Jews  has  been  and  is  a 
problem  of  the  ages,  a  problem  it  would  seem 
that  only  God  can  solve  in  His  own  good  time 
and  way.  What  will  the  solution  be? 

J.  B.  K. 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


STAGE  I 

THE  BETRAYAL,  ARREST,  AND  HEAR- 
ING BEFORE  ANNAS 

(Musings  and  Comments  of  Judas.) 

4  4  T  TAVE  I  done  mortal  wrong?     My  heart 

A  A   is  troubled 

And  my  soul  haunted  by  a  thousand  doubts. 
But  a  short  year  agone,  across  the  Lake 
Straight  from  Capernaum  on  the  other  side, 
Near  to  Bethsaida-Julias,  on  the  grass, 
After  a  term  of  teaching  and  much  toil, 
Healing  and  pointing  out  the  Heavenly  Way, 
Time    passed    in    pinioned    flight    till    evening 

shades 
Stretched  lengthening  eastward,  and  the  night 

was  near, 

When  Christ,  discerning  the  great  multitude, 
More  than  five  thousand  eager  followers, 
All   absent    from   their   homes,    and   much   an 

hungred, 

Ordered  provision  to  be  spread  for  them, 
Fitly,  and  there,  along  the  greening  slopes; 
And  when  advised,  in  answer  to  His  query, 
That  five  brown  loaves  and  three  small  pickled 

fishes 

Were  all  that  our  lean  larder  could  supply, 
[  33  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


He  said,  *  Let  these  be  brought,'  and  it  was  done. 
Then  He,  there  breaking,  without  diminution, 
Filled  all  the  ready  baskets  of  the  Twelve, 
Helmets  and  improvised  receptacles 
Of  various  kinds  for  ordered  distribution 
To  the  long  lines  of  now  recumbent  followers, 
Told  into  fifties  some,  and  into  hundreds, 
Till  all  were  fed,  and  all  were  satisfied; 
And,  provident  still,  in  His  Life-Lessons,  there 
Ordered  the  fragments  gathered  that  were  left, 
The  whole  exceeding  in  an  hundred  fold 
The  food  with  which  the  feeding  had  begun. 

"  Excitement  was  intense  I     The  exaltation 

Of  all  the  Messianic  prophecies 

Seeming  to  center  round  the  Master's  form 

Leaped  for  assertion  to  ten  thousand  lips 

And  sounded  on  the  air  one  grand  Hosanna: 

'  Our  King  and  Counselor!     The  Sent  of  God! 

Thou  Matchless  Prophet  of  the  Line  of  David  ! 

Deliverer,  Messiah,  Hope  of  Jewry! 

Hail  and  be  crowned!     We  are  thy  followers 

In  life  and  death!     Lead  and  we'll  cleave  to 

Thee! 
The  Temple  is  Thy  Court,  Israel  Thy  King- 

dom !  9~ 


t 


BETRAYAL  AND  ARREST 

"  And  I,  yea  I,  did  join  in  the  acclaim 

(As  did  each  of  the  others  of  the  Twelve), 

This  sweet  delirium  of  expectancy 

Voiced  by  so  many  with  such  burning  zeal; 

And  yet  He  would  not  so,  but  bade  us  take 

Unto  our  waiting  ship  and  haste  away 

Back   toward   Capernaum,   from   whence   we'd 

come* 

Being  so  constrained,  we  took  unto  the  sea 
With  much  reluctance,  casting  longing  looks 
Back  at  the  throng,  while  we  pulled  at  our  oars. 

"  Soon  we  discerned  the  shouting  multitude 
Melting  away,  and,  as  we  after  learned, 
Under  the  spur  of  His  yet  kind  reproof 
Checking  the  world-ambition  in  their  hearts 
And  speaking  of  a  Spiritual  Kingdom 
Which  He  had  come  to  found  upon  the  earth, 
They  thus  departed  —  calmed  and  mollified, 
Yet  pondering  vaguely  on  the  things  He  spake ; 
Then  climbed  He  up  the  mountain-side  to  pray. 

"  The  night  that  followed  —  Oh,  I  see  it  still 
In  its  vast  awe-inspiring  mysteries 
Of  life  and  death  and  helplessness  and  power ; — 
The  wind,  upstarting  straight  ahead  of  us 
And  springing  to  the  stature  of  a  gale, 
When  not  one-half  the  passage  had  been  made, 
[35  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


Lashed  the  blue  waters  into  combing  waves 
Whipping  our  vessel's  bow  with  foaming  spume, 
As  some  pulled,  vainly  laboring  at  the  oars, 
While  others  bailed  to  keep  our  ship  afloat; 
When,  all  worn  to  exhaustion  with  the  toil, 
We  did  descry  a  figure  like  a  wraith 
Walking  amid  the  waves  which  bent  their  crests 
Curling  away  from  it  on  either  side; 
And  trembling  we  called  out.     Fear  loosed  our 

hands, 

Our  oars  hung  idle  in  their  dripping  locks 
And  soon  we  must  have  perished;  when  a  voice, 
Calm  and  unruffled  through  the  howling  storm, 
Even  and  clear  amid  the  seething  waves, 
Spake  safety  for  us  all, 

*  Be  of  good  cheer ! ' 

This  well  had  been  enough,  for  that  same  voice 
To  us  was  as  a  shepherd's  to  his  flock, 
The  most  familiar  voice  in  all  the  world, 
Breathing  assurance;  then  He  further  soothed 
And  calmed  all  our  past  terrors  with 

"TisI! 
Be  not  afraid!' 

Then  the  quick-daring  one, 
Bar-Jona,  called  out,  *  Lord,  if  it  be  Thou, 
Bid  me  to  come  to  Thee!'  Then  th'  Master: 

'Come!' 

And  as  a  trusting  child  from  some  near  height 
[36] 


BETRAYAL  AND  ARREST 

Might  drop  into  its  mother's  open  arms, 
Did  he,  the  impulsive  Peter,  straightway  leap 
Into  the  foaming  tumult,  and  strode  forth ; 
But  the  fierce  winds  twisted  the  white-plumed 

waves 

Hissing  about  his  knees ;  fear  seized  his  soul, 
And  as  the  Deep  gave  way  beneath  his  feet 
He  did  call  out,  '  Lord,  save  me  or  I  sink ! ' 
And  so  the  Master,  stretching  forth  His  hand, 
Caught  Peter,  brought  him  safely  to  the  ship, 
And  gently  chided  him  for  lack  of  faith, 
Bidding  the  while  the  tempest  to  be  still 
And  quieting  the  waters  with  a  word 
Into  a  peaceful  calm;  and  we,  in  awe 
And    reverent    wonder,    knelt    and    worshipped 

Him, 
Saying,  '  Of  a  truth  Thou  art  the  Son  of  God ! ' 

"  Then  we  rowed  safely,  beaching  at  the  plain 
Gennesaret,  and  many  met  us  there 
And  knew  Christ  when  He  landed  from  the  ship, 
While  those  who  lingered  on  the  other  shore, 
Deeming  the  Master  still  not  far  away, 
Finding  Him  not,  learned  of  His  being  with  us 
Safe  on  the  western  side,  and  wondering, 
Some  came  in  ships  and  followed,  and  still  more 
Skirting  the  northern  margin  of  the  Lake 

[37] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


Came  hurrying  afoot  to  join  the  throng 
Which  now  was  gathering  from  every  side. 

"  All  now  moved  joyfully  from  place  to  place, 
Some    wondering,    some    doubting,    some    per- 
plexed, 

Till  we  again  entered  Capernaum, 
Wherein  the  Master  sought  the  synagogue, 
And  there  He  taught,  discoursing  to  the  throng ; 
But   ere  we'd   reached  that   place,   many  that 

hedged 

The  highways  and  the  streets  did  call  on  Him  — 
The  sick,  the  halt,  the  blind,  and  from  afar 
The  leprous, — <  Son  of  David,  Sent  of  God ! 
Have  mercy  on  us,  Lord,  and  make  us  whole ! ' 
And   all  who   might,   approached  and  touched 

His  garments, 

And  all  were  healed  and  j  oyf ully  went  their  way, 
Praising   His   name.     And  when   He,  halting, 

spake, 

Certain  espying  crafty  Pharisees 
Challenged  His  right  of  healing  on  the  Sabbath 
And  sneeringly  instanced  His  sometime  act  — 
Partaking  meat,  they   claimed,  with  unwashed 

hands, 

Both  He  and  His  apostles,  'gainst  the  Law, 
An  act  of  gross  defilement.     He  did  look 
Upon  them  with  pitying  concern ; 
[  38] 


BETRAYAL  AND  ARREST 

Then  with  parable,  or  well-grounded  maxim, 
Or  an  apt  instance  from  the  Higher  Law, 
Reduced  He  them  to  silence,  but  their  hatred 
Blazed  to  hostility,  and  'mong  the  throng 
They  sought  to  poison  whom  they  might  against 
Him. 

"  Of  those  who'd  been  among  the  fed  five  thou- 
sand, 

After  now  list'ning  to  His  wondrous  doctrine, 
Some  questioned  as  to  their  own  proper  conduct 
(Prompted  thereto  by  scheming  Pharisees 
And  their  Sadducean  co-conspirators) 
To   work   the   works    of   God;   and   then   He 

spake : 

4  Believe  on  Him,  the  Christ  Whom  He  hath 
sent.' 

"  Then    called   they   for   a   sign.     Moses    had 

given 

Unto  their  fathers  in  the  wilderness 
The   manna   David  psalmed   'the   bread   from 

Heaven,' 

While  He  had  given  them  earth's  barley  loaves 
Only,  and  fishes  from  the  near-by  Lake, 
Belittling  thus  their  late  miraculous  feeding. 
And  Jesus,  flushing  at  the  prompted  question, 
Told  them  still  kindly  that  the  given  manna 
[39] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


Was  not  from  Moses,  truly,  but  from  God, 
Who  also  gave,  who  would,  the  Bread  of  Life, 
And  they  perceiving  not  the  metaphor: 
*  Lord,  now  and  always  give  us  of  this  bread ! ' 
And  He  forthwith: 

*  I  am  the  Bread  of  Life, 
And  he  that  cometh  to  Me  ne'er  shall  hunger 
And  who  believeth  in  Me  shall  not  thirst.' 
These  words,  or  these  in  substance,  I  remember 
Caused  a  great  flutter  'mong  the  Pharisees 
There  spying  on  the  Master  for  some  breach 
Against  the  faith  or  tenets  of  the  Jews. 

"  And  they  industriously  amid  the  throng 
Spake  their  objections,  hissing  their  dissent 
As  fierce  as  serpents,  with  their  acrid  venom 
Poisoning  the  minds  of  all  they  could  against 

Him, 

And  laboring  most  among  His  followers. 
And  then  the  Master,  bearing  the  metaphor 
To  its  one  just  conclusion,  following  still 
The  figurative  symbolism  chosen: 
'  This  Bread  is  so  my  Flesh  which  I  do  give 
And  freely,  as  the  ransom  of  the  World. 
Except  you  eat  this  flesh  of  the  Son  of  Man 
And  drink  His  blood,  ye  have  no  life  in  you. 
Who  eateth  of  this  Bread  shall  live  forever.' 
[  40  ] 


BETRAYAL  AND  ARREST 

"  And  then  these  Pharisees  pretending  horror : 

*  How  could  a  man  partake  of  this  Man's  flesh 
And  drink  his  blood?     And  He  doth  claim  to  be 
Come  down  from  Heaven.     Truly  is  this  not 
The  son  of  Joseph,  one  time  carpenter 

Of  Nazareth,  whom  not  e'en  His  kin  believe?  9 
But  when  these  spies  in  turn  were  set  upon 
And  sharply  questioned  by  His  followers, 
Saying,  *  How  could  He  perform  these  mighty 

works 

Which  He  has  done  before  our  open  eyes 
Unless  He  were  of  God?  or  speak  this  wisdom, 
On    perfect    Knowledge    founded,    couched    in 

words 

Framed  in  unanswerable,  simple  logic, 
Were  God  not  with  Him?     Can  ye  tell  us  this?  ' 
Then  they,  made  mad  in  their  discomfiture : 

*  He  doeth  these  things  through  Satan  and  his 

Power! 

Doth  God  oppose  His  own?     Is  Moses*  law 
Now  come  to  be  a  groundless  allegory, 
And  all  the  teachings  of  our  mighty  rabbis 
As  empty  nothings,  or  as  active  evil? 
To  what  are  we  now  tending  when  the  sons 
Of  Abraham  go  crazed  o'er  this  pretender, 
This  smooth  deceiver,  this  low  Antichrist? 
Break  now  away  from  Him  ere  you  be  lost ! ' 
[41  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


"  Thus  many,  seeing  not  the  shallowness 
Of  these  unfounded  and  unjust  assertions, 
And  so  being  seriously  impressed  thereby, 
Were  turned  away  from  Him,  and  I  was  trou- 

bled; 

And  so  not  only  I,  but  all  the  Twelve 
Were  visibly  depressed;  and  seeing  which 
(Yet  in  all  things  remained  our  faith  unbroken 
In    Him,    our    Shepherd    and    our    Tower    of 

Strength), 

And  that  dejection  dwelt  upon  our  faces, 
He  added: 

6  Will  ye  also  go  away?  ' 
And  spake  it  in  deep  sorrow,  to  which  Peter 
Speaking  for  all  : 

'  To  whom,  Lord,  shall  we  go? 
Thou  hast  the  Words  of  everlasting  Life, 
But  we  believe  it  and  are  sure  thereof, 
Thou  art  the  Holy  One  of  God  I' 

To  which: 
'  You  Twelve  have  I  not  chosen,  and  one  a 

devil?  ' 

Could  then  the  Master  have  referred  to  me? 
I  cannot  think  it  so;  still  in  the  light 
Of  these  red  fitful  lamps  that  in  their  glare 
Offend  the  white-faced  moon  this  fateful  night, 
I  am  disturbed  in  looking  back  to  it. 


[ 


BETRAYAL  AND  ARREST 

"  Yet,  later,  did  He  speak  about  twelve  thrones 

We  Twelve  should  occupy,  and  later  still 

Did  He  not  send  us  all  deputed  fully 

To  heal  the  halt  and  bring  light  to  the  blind 

And  also  cast  out  devils  in  His  name? 

So  when  this  thing  was  spoken,  'twas  in  blame  — • 

A  passing  epithet  —  belike  'gainst  me 

For  some  delinquency  not  manifest 

Fairly  to  all,  for  surely  a  devil  fully  fledged 

He  would  not  name  to  cast  out  his  own  kind, 

And  in  the  name,  too,  of  the  Sinless  One; 

And  even  after  this,  when  Peter  sought 

To  state  what  might  not  be,  did  not  the  Master 

Most  sharply  chide  him: 

6  Get  behind  Me,  Satan?  ' 
But  this  most  keen  rebuke  did  not  impugn 
The  honest  good  in  his  impulsive  nature, 
Nor  make  of  him  a  fiend,  nor  was  it  meant  so 
I  must  believe ;  but  still  my  soul  is  troubled. 
And  it  was  troubled  on  that  Sabbath  day 
There  at  the  synagogue,  another  way, 
For  then  I  saw  His  followers  turned  from  Hint 
By  false  connivance  and  unjust  abuse, 
Hinting  at  evil  by  the  Prince  of  Good. 

"  I've  seen  the  gathering  hordes  of  opposition 
In  power  and  place,  about  Jerusalem, 

[  43] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


And  these  still  gaining  strength,  in  these  last 

days, 

From  much  desertion  by  His  followers, 
Urged  by  the  spies  of  these  same  enemies 
Who  dog  His  footsteps  with  vindictive  stealth, 
Hunting  for  scraps  to  feed  their  hatred  on, 
To  His  undoing, —  scraps  to  formulate 
And  charge  offense  to  Israel's  God-given  Law. 
And  now  what  have  I  done? 

Acted  the  traitor 
That   the   whole   world   might   see   the   vicious 

schemings, 

The  petty  plannings  of  His  enemies 
Dissolved  to  nothingness,  their  armed  strength 
Fall  impotent  'neath  His   reproving  glance, 
Their    outstretched    hands    drop    numbed    and 

powerless 

On  their  profaning  contact  with  His  person. 
Was  I  not  present  in  the  Temple  Court, 
Over  against  the  Porch  of  Solomon, 
Just  a  short  space  agone,  when  He, 
Speaking  of  God  there  to  the  listening  throng, 
Cried  out  to  them  in  fervor,  saying, 

*  I  know  Him, 

For  I  am  from  Him !  and  He  hath  sent  Me.' 
And  the  chief  priests  ordered  their  officers 
There  to  lay  hold  on  Him  and  firmly  bind  Him. 
[  44  ] 


BETRAYAL  AND  ARREST 

But  these  stood  spellbound  by  His  wondrous 

words 

And  had  not  power  to  raise  a  hand  against  him, 
And  on  returning  unto  those  who  sent  them 
These  taunted  them  for  cowardly  lack  of  duty, 
And  sneering  asked :     *  Why  have  ye  brought 

Him  not?  > 

And  the  sturdy  bailiffs  could  but  answer  them 
This  and  no  more: 

'  Never  man  spake  like  this  man.' 
Then  so  the  Pharisees: 

*  Are  ye  deceived 

As  also  others  are?  '     But  their  cheeks  blanched 
As  looked  they  on  the  faces  of  these  men 
Set  in  a  fixed  expression,  part  of  awe 
And  of  deep  reverence  part,  and  so  the  sneers 
Curling  the  priestly  lips  smoothed  out  in  fear, 
And  their  hot  anger  melted  to  dismay. 

"  Then  Nicodemus,  standing  close  at  hand, 
To  break  the  keen  restraint  that  held  them  all, 
And  speak  a  word  for  Christ,  and  one  for  Jus- 
tice: 

*  Doth  our  law  ever  judge  of  any  man 
Before  it  hear  him  and  know  what  he  doeth?  * 
And  they,  ignoring  the  condemning  query, 
Put  it  aside,  hiding  behind  reproach, 
[45] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


And  thrust  forth  falsehood  as  a  fact  assured, 
Both  thus: 

*  Art  thou  also  of  Galilee  ? 
Search  thou  and  look,  for  out  of  Galilee 
Arose  no  prophet  since  the  world  began.' 
Still  they  went  forth  abashed,  each  to  his  house. 

"  So  shall  it  be  to-night,  as  I  believe, 
Or,  if  He  choose,  forsooth,  to  go  with  them 
Into  their  courts  and  councils,  as  before, 
In  controversy,  He  shall  still  prevail. 

"  But  this  fair  picture  hath  its  somber  tints, 
And  as  I  hear  this  force  passing  the  wall 
(Whose    mighty    stones    do    hedge    the    Holy 

City), 
Murd'ring  the  moonlight   with   their   smoking 

lamps, 
Offending    with    War's    staves    the    Prince    of 

Peace, 

And  cross  the  Kedron,  and  slow  clamber  up 
The  slope  of  Olivet  with  the  set  purpose 
To  apprehend  the  Master,  my  limbs  quake 
And  my  soul  trembles  in  its  fleshly  house. 

"  But  now  we  near  the  fenced  Gethsemane. 
(My   heart,   be    still!)     Within   its   moon-cast 
shades 

[  46] 


BETRAYAL  AND  ARREST 

The  Master  somewhere  bides  with  His  disciples, 
All,  mayhap,  but  myself.  The  Roman  tribune 
With  half  a  hundred  from  Antonia's  Tower, — 
Rough  legionaries  panoplied  for  war, 
The  Temple  Captain  and  his  squad  of  guards, 
Some  priests  and  scribes,  and  an  unseemly  rab- 
ble,— 

The  restless  scum  floating  about  the  city, 
In  part,  and  partly  Zealots  to  the  faith, 
And  mostly  armed  with  rude  offensive  staves, 
All  swarm  about,  the  onward  march  at  end, 
Clutching  their  weapons  with  fear's  trembling 

gripe, 

Even  the  troops  grasping  their  carven  hilts 
As  if  near  ambush  by  some  desperate  force. 
So  they  group  trembling  and  I  step  afront 
To  point  the  Master  out  as  I'd  agreed, 
Greeting  him  blandly  with  a  traitor  kiss. 
(Alas  the  day,  if  this  prove  fully  true.) 

*  Hail,  Rabbi,  Hail ! '     He  answering  and  thus : 

*  Friend,  wherefore  art  thou  come  ?  ' 

Now  he  confronts 

The  armed  minions  clustered  thereabout : 
'Whom  seek  ye?' 

And  they  faintly  answer  Him, 

*  Jesus  of  Nazareth  I '  and  He  announces  calmly, 

*  I  am  He !' 

Ha !     See  them  fall !     Three  deep 
[  47  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


The  circled  trembling  host  goes  down, 

As  if  a  bolt  from  Heaven  had  smitten  them 

Prone  to  the  earth.     'Tis  as  I  thought  I 

These  priests, 

These  prudish  scribes  and  Pharisaic  scoffers, 
Shall  now  behold  and  fully  realize 
That  God's  Power  fills  the  Man  of  Nazareth, 
And  fittingly  receive  Him.     But  what's  this? 
The  leveled  minions  struggle  to  their  feet 
And  once  again  press  in  upon  Him  there, 
And  He  again: 

'  Whom  seek  ye  ?  ' 

And  again 

One  found  his  voice :     '  Jesus  of  Nazareth.' 
And  He: 

'  Have  I  not  told  you  I  am  He  ?  ' 
Then  they  advance  on  Him  with  outstretched 

hands, 

Seeking  to  seize  Him,  and  I  am  appalled 
At  their  audacity.     And  rash  Bar-Jona, 
Saying,  '  Master,  shall  I  smite  ?  '  drew  out  his 

sword, 

The  rusty  hanger  of  a  fisherman, 
And  ere  Christ  could  advise  him  he  smites  off 
The  ear  of  Malchus  with  a  swinging  blow, 
And  Malchus  is  servant  of  the  present  High- 
priest  ; 

But  Christ  turning  to  Peter  calmly  saith: 
[  48  ] 


BETRAYAL  AND  ARREST 

*  Put  up  again  thy  sword  into  its  place, 
For  all  that  take  the  sword  shall  thereby  perish.* 
Now  doth  He  touch  the  ear  of  him  so  smitten, 
Saying, 

*  Suffer  thou  thus  far,' 

and  made  him  whole. 

Thus  doth  He  good  still  to  His  enemies. 
And  turning  now  unto  the  armed  throng: 

*  Are  ye  come  out  here  as  against  a  thief, 
With  swords  and  staves  to  take  Me  ?     I  sat  daily 
Among  you  teaching  in  the  Temple,  and  ye  laid 
Not  hold  on  Me!' 

These  words  do  seem  to  lift 
A  heavy  load  now  weighing  on  my  spirit, 
For  they  do  seem  to  lessen  my  abasement 
In  pointing  out  our  Master  to  the  throng 
Whose  leaders  are  so  shown  to  know  Him  well, 
And  daily  had  their  opportunity 
To  apprehend  Him.     So  hoped  I  my  mad  act 
Might  find  atonement  under  my  intent 
And    only    good    might    come    of    it,    though 

prompted 
In  part  by  my  ambition.     But  they  close  in  on 

Him, 

For  reasoning  doth  aye  embolden  fear, 
And  they  lay  hands  on  Him  in  violence, 
And  bind  Him  like  a  criminal  with  thongs, 
Crossing  His  hands  behind  Him  in  rough  haste, 
[  49  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


O  God !  and  perish  not !     His  words  of  peace 
Spoken  to  Peter  have  revived  their  courage, 
Inflamed  their  hatred,  and  renewed  their  zeal 
To  heap  upon  His  head  their  contumely, 
Now  fearing  no  more  harm;  and  my  poor  soul 
Doth  shudder  at  itself  for  what  I've  done. 
And  the  eleven  flee  into  the  shadows. 

"  So,  unresisting,  and  hand-bound  with  thongs, 

Jostled  by  ribald  beggars  from  the  mart, 

And   jeered   by   those   who   have  him   now   in 

charge, 

Under  the  stooping  sky  whose  wondering  stars 
Flash  from  clear  blue,  or  glance  through  moving 

rift, 

Stricken  with  sorrow  and  a  breaking  heart 
Amidst  His  captors  now  grown  insolent 
In  reassurance  from  the  lack  of  harm, 
The  Light  of  all  the  World  in  ignominy 
Is  dragged  back  to  the  city  at  night's  noon, 
Without  a  friend  to  cheer  or  comfort  Him, 
To  answer  charges  of  His  enemies. 

"  O  Peter !  ever  full  of  promises 
And  strong  assurance  of  fidelity; 
O  Sons  of  Thunder!  Thou,  the  white-souled 

John, 

Whose  head  hath  rested  in  the  Master's  bosom 
[50] 


BETRAYAL  AND  ARREST 

Only  this  night  with  seeming  sweet  affection, 
And    truthful,    trusting    James,    thy    favored 

brother  — 

Both  of  whose  veins  embank  kin's  ruddy  strain 
To  that  that's  flooding  now  the  Master's  heart 
So  overwhelmed  with  sorrow ; —  and  the  rest, 
All  greater  than  myself  in  length  of  service; 
Why    fled    ye    when    the    chief-priests'    bidden 

minions 

Laid  violent  hands  upon  Him?     Of  the  Twelve 
Not  even  one  to  openly  declare 
Allegiance  and  a  deathless  fealty, 
With  willingness  to  bide  by  and  to  suffer 
In  all  things  with  Him  if  ye  were  permitted, 
In  the  cold  face  of  seeming  present  peril! 

"  Oh,  it  is  pitiful !     That  any  should  'proach 
To  my  own  faithlessness,  now  dawning  on  me 
In  all  the  horror  of  its  heinousness, 
Brings  shame  upon  my  soul!     And  yet  what 

right 

Have  I  to  criticise,  and  on  what  grounds, 
The  actions  or  the  conduct  of  the  others? 
For  it  doth  seem  that  their  chief  fault  is  fear, 
While  my  own  sin  is  fitly  branded  treason, 
Taking  its  name  from  action,  not  from  thought. 
They,  hidden  in  the  darkness  filled  with  dread, 
Look  out  askance  upon  the  moving  throng, 
[61] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


Through  grewsome  shadows  for  a  glimpse  of 
Him, 

Myself  lagging,  following  behind,  apace, 

Hoping  for  something  now  not  like  to  be. 

I  see  Him  aye,  uncovered  with  stooped  shoulders, 

'Mong  moving  points  of  light  from  shifting 
lamps 

Stabbing  the  pitying  night,  and  with  bowed 
head, 

Hands  crossed  and  bound  behind,  pushed,  jos- 
tled on, 

Plodding  weary  and  faint  the  trampled  way 

Along  the  western  slope  of  Olivet, 

And  still  I  follow,  follow,  in  a  trance. 

"  And  so  we  move  along,  and  from  the  hill 
Approaching  from  the  east  the  great  walled*  city 
Across  the  vale  of  Kedron,  we  now  see 
The  city's  inner  lights  waver  and  veer 
As  if  to  warn  away  the  lights  with  us. 
And  as  we  walk,  from  very  weariness 
The  vulgar  and  vindictive  become  silent ; 
Something  of  dread  and  awe  enshrouds  the  rest. 
Only  commands  from  the  stentorian  tribune, 
Borrowed  from  Pilate  to  lend  dignity 
To  this  rank  outrage  in  the  name  of  Law, 
Break  the  dull,  measured  tread  of  many  feet 
Beating  the  sodden  dust  now  moist  with  dew* 
[  52  ] 


BETRAYAL  AND  ARREST 

"  Afar  come  the  fierce  yelp  of  prowling  foxes 
And  the  weird  wailings  of  the  craven  jackals, 
As,  angered  and  frightened  at  the  moving  lights, 
They  shrink  back  into  darkness.     To  the  hill 
O'erlooking  the  black  valley,  as  we  near, 
Faint   sounds   come  wafted  from  the  sleeping 

city  — 

Barkings  of  many  dogs,  followed  by  howlings 
Prolonged  and  weird,  the  which  on  ending  break 
Into  deep  violent  barkings  once  again. 
Never  before  in  life  have  I  been  moved 
So  indescribably  as  by  what  I  see 
And  grewsome  awfulness  of  what  I  hear. 

(Before  Annas.) 

"  Reaching  at  length  the  massive  eastern  gate, 
It  now  is  open  so  that  all  may  enter 
Of  that  mad  marching  throng,   and  now   'tis 

closed. 

But  ere  it  shuts,  out  of  the  dusk  comes  Peter- 
(And  not  far  from  him  enters  also  John), 
A  look  of  fright  and  horror  on  his  face, 
And  he  glides  silently  apast  the  rest, 
Seeking  again  the  cover  of  the  shadows 
And  disappears.     Then  as  they  all  file  by, 
The  Master  still  encompassed  in  their  midst, 
Straight  to  the  High-Priest's  house  and  audi- 
ence chamber 

[  53  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


Hard  by  the  Temple,  on  the  upper  floor, 
They  are  directed  all,  and  all  assemble, 
Little  and  great,  staid  elders  and  chief  priests, 
That  have  gone  forth  this  night  with  their  hired 

minions 

To  make  sure  of  His  capture  by  the  throng  — 
(Save  that  the  Roman  squad  has  been  relieved) 
Captains,  rude  bailiffs,  and  the  mindless  idlers 
That  have  been  added  to  them  on  the  way  — 
Gathered  about  the  High-Priest,  deposed  Annas 
(High-Priest  in  fact,  but  longer  not  in  name) 
Who  sits  there  ready  in  his  judgment  seat, 
And  round  about  him  sit  these  counselors, 
All  members  by  office  of  the  great  Sanhedrin. 
And  after  consultation  'mong  themselves 
And  whisperings   back   and   forth   'twixt  them 

and  Annas, 

These  needless  members  now  take  distant  seats 
And  Annas  calls  for  quiet  to  the  throng ; 
And  as  he  does  so,  rising  from  his  chair, 
A  Temple  watchman  from  a  nearby  tower 
Calls  in  a  ringing  voice : 

«  Hear  all !     'Tis  midnight ! ' 
'Twas  second  hour's  full  stroke  of  middle  watch. 

"  At  this  abrupt  announcement  of  the  hour 
Pallor  o'erspreads  the  wrinkled  cheeks  of  Annas 
And  scales  the  furrows  of  his  lofty  brow; 
[  64  ] 


BETRAYAL  AND  ARREST 

So,  for  a  moment,  doth  he  seem  unmanned, 
As  if  impressed  by  this  mad,  lawless  haste, 
This  haste  at  this  unseemly  hour  of  night, 
In  fear,  dreading  the  daylight  and  the  people 
And    dreading    more    the    Master's    slumbering 

power 

(O,  let  it  show  itself  to  their  confusion) 
And  knowing  well  the  fatal  baselessness 
Of  the  loose  accusations  set  on  foot 
Against  the  bounden  Prophet  there  before  him, 
Without  the  semblance  of  a  written  charge 
Or  fixed  indictment  of  a  known  offense, 
Without  a  precedent  in  all  the  Torah 
Or  housed  in  memory  of  any  man, 
To  turn  to  in  attempt  to  justify 
Under  the  circumstance  and  time  and  fact. 
The  arch  conspirator,  acting  as  Court, 
With  a  returning  flush  controls  himself, 
Gathers  his  priestly  skirt  about  his  knees, 
Resumes  his  seat,  and  in  a  moment  thus : 
'  Thou  under  duress,  state  Thy  parentage ! ' 
To  which  the  Master  in  low,  even  voice 
Citeth  His  parentage  after  the  flesh, 
At  which  the   exultant   priest,  now   gathering 

courage 

From  the  respectful  bearing  of  the  accused 
And  hoped-for  inconsistence  of  his  answer 
With  that  which  the  inquisitor  had  in  mind, 
[  55  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


Questions  him  further: 

'Let  us  hear  from  Thee 
Briefly  the  facts  in  Thy  young  life's  career.' 
To  which  the  Master  speaks  of  His  own  birth 
As  it  was  widely  known  to  common  speech 
Among  the  people  at  the  time  of  it, 
And  of  the  Star  i'  the  East,  the  Wise  Men's 

visit, 

Herod  the  Great's  decree,  the  flight  to  Egypt 
And  the  return  soon  after  Herod's  passing, 
The  converse  with  the  Doctors  in  the  Temple, 
His  youthful  service  as  a  carpenter, 
And  other  things  of  import  varying 
To  the  beginning  of  His  ministry; 
Then  halted  there.     All  this  was  aptly  told 
By  reference  rather  than  by  formal  speech, 
By  deep  allusion  hinted  for  review 
From    out    the    past.     And    the   white-bearded 

Annas 

Shifteth  uneasily  upon  his  seat, 
Doubtless  remembering  well  the  leading  facts 
So  simply   summoned,  and  able  to   vouch  for 

them; 

For  at  the  outset,  under  the  first  Herod 
Had  he  held  place  of  power  about  his  court 
And  was   made  High-Priest  by  the   sole  pro- 
curement 

Of  his  successor  under  Roman  rule 
[  56] 


BETRAYAL  AND  ARREST 

Some   years   thereafter,   and  knew   Herod   the 

Great 

To  have  had  fear  about  some  infant  King 
(Whom  Wise  Men  from  the  East  had  come  to 

worship, 

Guided  at  night  by  a  new  luminous  star) 
That  rumor  said  was  born  unto  the  Jews: 
And  how  he  thought  the  Babe  had  been  cut  off 
In  the  foul  murder  of  the  Innocents 
Herod  decreed  to  compass  His  destruction; 
That  Herod  now  was  dead  and  He  alive  — 
This  quiet  Prophet,  this  still  uncrowned  King, 
Who  seemed  to  seek  in  nowise  secular  rule, 
But  had  been  hailed  by  some  as  the  Messiah, 
And  had  assumed  as  much  when  ridding  the 

Temple 

Of  money-changers',  and  had  so  assumed 
Authority  beyond  his  priestly  self, 
Naming  the  Temple  as  His  Father's  House, 
Usurping,  as  he  claimed,  prerogatives 
Belonging  to  himself  and  him  alone. 
And  his  proud  Sadducean  soul  had  chafed 
In  burning  anger  at  these  same  assumptions 
Of    the    Young    Master,    and   though    deeply 

moved 

By  the  calm  answers  given,  so  even  now 
His  anger  doubled,  but  his  fear  increased, 
And  these  in  turn,  portrayed  upon  his  face  — 
[57  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


These  cross  emotions  raging  in  his  heart  — 
The  last,  belike,  in  halting  hesitancy 
Prompting  this  question  forced  upon  his  lips, 
Coupled  with  epithet  of  deadly  insult, 
Hoping,  yet  fearing,  as  to  me  it  seems, 
What  the  response  might  be: 

'  Bound  blasphemer, 

What  is  Thy  claim  beyond  Thy  parentage 
Concerning  Thy  extraction,  Gentile  or  Jew?  ' 
To  which  the  Master  (my  own  blood  boiling 
At  the  gross  slander)  : 

'  Admitting  I  am  bound 
Thou  dost  permit  it.' 

Proceeding  further 

He  makes  known  simply,  in  unruffled  tones 
His  genealogy  from  Abraham 
To  David,  and  from  him  again  to  Joseph, 
In  one  unbroken  line,  without  a  flaw, 
And  being  led  on,  he  mentions  Holy  Writ, 
Quoting  the  Prophet-Priest  Isaiah, 
And  the  forerunning  of  the  Baptist  John. 

"  During  this  colloquy,  pallor  again 
O'erspread  the  features  of  the  aged  Annas 
And  he  was  plainly  troubled  and  perplexed, 
Yet  full  of  anger  and  aggression  still. 
He  questioned  Jesus  further  of  His  doctrine, 

[  58] 


BETRAYAL  AND  ARREST 

With  half  a  query  as  to  His  disciples, 
To  which  the  Master  answered : 

6 1  spake  openly 

Unto  the  world.     I  ever  taught  i'  the  synagogue 
And  in  the  Temple,  whither  aye  the  Jews 
Do  congregate ;  in  secret  I  said  nothing. 
Why  asketh  thou  of  Me?     Ask  of  them  which 

heard  Me 
What  I  did  say.' 

While  listening  to  this, 

My  heart,  pulsing  my  breast  with  mighty  throbs, 
Leaps  to  my  throat ;  my  opened  lips  amove, 
Frame  burning  words,  run  mad  for  utterance, 
Raging  betwixt  my  teeth  at  my  tongue's  end, 
Ready  to  leap  into  articulate  speech, 
For  I  was  a  disciple,  there  to  answer  — 
By   the  High-Priest's   consent  and  knowledge, 

there 

By  his  procurement.     I  had  heard  the  Master 
A  thousand  times  and  well  might  testify. 
I  knew  the  truth,  which  was  consuming  me, 
Here  was  the  Master's  plea  that  I  might  speak, 
Poor  traitor  that  I  am,  I  shall  be  called 
To  witness  more  readily  on  that  account, 
And  surely  now  my  soul  shall  free  itself, 
Speaking  for  Him  the  eternal  verities, 
Happen  to  me  what  may ;  I  reck  it  not. 

[  59  ]  I 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


"  But     while     these     thoughts     flash     burning 

through  my  mind 

Like  the  forked  lightning  in  a  cloudy  sky, 
A  minion  of  the  High-Priest,  having  Him 
Bounden  in  charge,  with  his  profaning  hand 
Smites  angrily  the  Master's  sacred  cheek — • 
The  cheek  where  I  had  placed  the  traitor  kiss, 
The  cheek  that  ere  this  pitiful  hellish  night, 
Each,  love,  or  fear,  or  reverence,  or  all, 
Has  guarded  well  from  disrespectful  touch. 
And  as  a  wild  rage  sweeps  across  my  soul, 
I  spring  unheeding  at  the  miscreant, 
Thinking  to  clutch  my  fingers  on  his  throat, 
But  I  am  caught  and  held  by  the  attendants 
(None  knowing  my  purpose, —  or  misjudging 

it) 

As  a  disturber  of  the  inquiry, 
Though     without     censure     from     the     High- 
Priest's  self. 

This  dastard  blow  had  fallen  unrebuked 
And  without  reprimand,  with  no  remark, 
Protest  or  frown,  or  sign  of  disapproval 
From  crier  or  scribe  there  in  authority. 
Then  the  offender  speaks  the  Master  thus : 
*  Answerest  thou  the  reverent  High-Priest  so  ? ' 
To  which  the  Christ: 

*  If  I  have  spoken  evil, 
Bear  witness  of  the  evil,  but  if  well 
[  60  ] 


BETRAYAL  AND  ARREST 

Why  smitest  thou  Me?  ' 

This  evokes  no  answer, 
Neither  is  other  query  put  by  Annas 
To  Him  who  seems  so  patiently  awaiting 
What  is  their  will,  showing  small  interest. 
But  Annas  seems  at  loss  how  to  proceed 
And  yet  unwilling  still  to  make  an  end, 
But  sits  there  all  irresolute,  the  sweat 
Standing  in  drops  upon  his  pallid  brow, 
His  tremulous  fingers  toying  nervously 
Among  the  soft  folds  of  his  priestly  robes, 
While  I,  emboldened  by  one  devouring  purpose, 
Press  forward  to  his  view,  but  all  in  vain  — 
He  calls  me  not,  or  any  other  witness. 

"  Then  Annas  rousing  himself  slowly  announces : 
*  Accused,  I  find  Thee  from  Thy  uttered  words 
Without  a  witness  speaking  aught  against  Thee, 
Fixed  in  Thy  purpose  to  deceive  the  people 
And  evidently  to  deceive  Thyself, 
Submissive  in  demeanor,  yet  arrogant 
In  Thy  insistence  on  Thy  lofty  claims, 
The  which  run  squarely  counter  to  the  Law, 
If  it  be  said  there  is  no  proof  of  this, 
Yet  hast  Thou  spoken  of  Thy  open  teachings ; 
Not  in  the  least  renouncing  them,  or  any 
Of  Thy  so  rumored  acts  of  wondrous  healing, 
Taken  with  time  and  place  of  doing  them, 
[  61  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


And  their  apparent  purpose.     What  they  were, 
The  manner  of  their  doing,  and  the  time, 
Thy   words,   Thy   deeds,   and  blasphemous   as- 
sumptions, 

Myself  have  seen  and  heard,  in  part,  at  least, 
And  so  am  well  advised  to  notice  them. 
That  these  strange  doctrines  and  activities 
Tend  to  unsettle  the  well-fixed  beliefs 
Founded  on  laws  as  given  us  by  Moses, 
And  these  elaborated  by  the  priesthood 
From  earliest  times  unto  the  present  date 
And  written  by  our  scholars  in  the  Books, 
Or  firmly  fixed  in  many  memories, 
I  cannot  question.     I  am  not  here  to  try 
Or  to  denounce  Thee,  bounden  Nazarene, 
Nor  to  pass  judgment  on  Thy  many  crimes, 
But  merely  to  measure  Thy  performances 
As  hast  Thyself  seen  fit  to  speak  of  them. 
I  pass  Thee,  therefore,  held  and  bounden  still, 
Before  our  High-Priest,  the  great  Caiaphas, 
Whose  privilege  it  is,  and  whose  stern  duty 
To  hear  Thee  further,  and  belike  call  witness 
Ere  Thou  be  taken  'fore  the  great  Sanhedrin 
Upon  the  way  to  the  Procurator 
In  whom  rests  life  and  death  under  great  Caesar.' 

"  During  the  specious  reasoning  of  Annas, 
Denunciatory  and  assuming  guilt, 
[  62  ] 


BETRAYAL  AND  ARREST 

Whilst  the  cold  utterer,  conscious  of  wrong, 
Claimed  in  his  words  that  he  did  not  denounce, 
And  while  admitting  lack  of  proper  proof, 
Spake  of  his  own  past  knowledge  as  such  proof 
Of    things    he    named    that    were    in    no    wise 

charged  — 

A  thing  unheard-of  in  the  Jewish  Law  — 
The    Master    spoke    not    and    seemed    scarcely 

conscious 

Till  it  drew  to  a  close,  then  with  a  smile 
Which   seemed   to   say :     '  Pardon   him,   O   my 

Father, 

And  let  Thy  wish  and  will  be  My  sure  guide, 
For  surely  knows  he  not  that  which  he  doeth.' 
So  He  is  led  out  of  Priest  Annas'  hall 
.Across  the  court  to  that  of  Caiaphas, 
Followed  by  all  the  assembled  priests  and  elders, 
The  officers  attending  and  the  rabble, 
And  I  among  the  others  also  follow, 
For  Annas  had  said  that  witness  might  be  called 
In  the  new  hearing  before  Caiaphas ; 
So  I  may  still  be  called  and  yet  be  heard." 


[63  ] 


STAGE  II 
BEFORE  CAIAPHAS 

NOW  Caiaphas  was  High-Priest,  not  by  Law 
Nor  regular  descent,  as  fixed  by  Moses 
Even  from  the  Idumean  interloper's  puppet, 
The  Alexandrian  Annas,  but  was  kin 
Unto  the  latter  by  affinity, 
The  latter  holding  the  High-Priestly  office 
As  it  was  farmed  out  to  him  first,  and  on 
For  seven  years  by  Rome's  procurators. 
But,  living  still,  though  not  of  Aaron's  stock, 
The    leading    Jews    deemed    him    High-Priest 

de  jure, 

Ignoring  so  his  deposition  by 
Valerius  Gratus,  a  past  Roman  legate; 
But  Caiaphas,  by  dint  of  Roman  power 
And  latest  preference,  was  such  de  facto. 
With  the  mute  understanding  of  them  both 
Annas  was  prime  adviser  in  authority, 
And  hence  to  patch  this  double  jurisdiction 
By  yielding  up  the  apparent  single  doubt, 
And  so  weld  both  in  one,  as  well  as  strengthen 
Each  in  itself,  and  mollify  the  people 
And  fuse  the  interests  of  the  bickering  cults 
While  placating  the  factions  politic, 
Romans,  Asmoneans,  and  Herodians, 
[64] 


BEFORE  CAIAPHAS 


These  crafty  Sadducees  and  scheming  elders, 
With  all  the  chief  priests'  subtle  wiles  approving 
(Also  the  Pharisees,  hating  them  all 
But  hating  most  of  all  the  Great  Accused, 
And  so  made  sullen,  silent  and  inactive), 
Procured  the  Master  to  be  taken  first 
Before  this  Annas,  as  it  has  been  said, 
And  gaining  so  the  weight  of  his  displeasure, 
Spoken  to  catch  approval  of  his  friends, 
Won  their  support,  disclaiming  the  same  time 
The  right  to  pass  in  judgment  on  His  cause, 
A  right  the  which  inhered  in  Caiaphas, 
(With  a  committee  of  the  great  Sanhedrin)  ; 
So,  yielding  jurisdiction  to  the  latter 
(Beyond  a  mere  informal  inquiry) 
While  drowning  jealousy  between  the  two, 
Tickled  both  Rome  and  Jewry  with  the  straw 
Of  their  shrewd  subterfuge,  and  sent  the  Christ 
Prejudged  before  this  haughty  Sadducee 
Who  had  declared,  as  counselor  of  the  Jews, 
It  was  expedient  that  One  should  die  — 
Die  for  the  people. 

Of  this  unjust  judge 
And  this  second  trial  let  the  traitor  tell : 

"  Leaving  priest  Annas'  court,  a  portico 
Broad  and  mosaic-floored,  its  roof  upheld 
On  carved  entablature,  and  this  supported 
[  65  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


By  a  long  tier  of  fluted  marble  columns 
Embased  and  capitaled,  and  fenced  between 
With  granite  railing  from  the  nearby  quarries, 
Faces  an  open  court  the  house  encloses, 
And  this,  brown-tiled  and  worn  with  passing 

feet, 

On  the  same  level  with  the  bottom  floor, 
Lies  shadowy  below. 

This  upper  porch 

(Matched  by  a  grander  on  the  outer  side) 
Its  every  detail  searing  my  hot  brain, 
Receives  the  human  tide  Annas  has  loosed, 
And  as  it  flows  into  the  cooler  air 
Spreads  out  from  wall  to  rail  and  surges  on, 
Beating  against  the  center  back  and  forth. 

"  Leading  this  center  is  the  temple  captain, 
Bearing  aloft  the  emblem  of  the  Law 
On  a  beribboned  rod  gilded  and  polished, 
And  after  him  the  officer  in  charge, 
Flanked  by  a  double  tier  of  deputies. 
Urging  in  their  midst  the  Master,  weary  limbed. 

"  Now  turning  sharply  at  the  earliest  angle, 
This  is  repeated,  and  across  the  space 
Above  the  open  court,  direct  across 
From  Annas'  audience  chamber  we  have  left 
The  temple  captain  opes  a  brazen  gate, 
[  66  ] 


BEFORE  CAIAPHAS 


And  as  I  reach  the  entrance,  lo,  behold, 
On  a  broad  dais  in  the  judgment  chamber 
In  the  far  center,  seated,  cold  and  haughty 
Upon  his  judgment  chair,   and  spread  before 

him 

On  carven  table,  scrolls  of  papyrus 
And  palimpsests  of  written  law,  I  see 
(While  scribes  are  many  upon  either  side, 
And   these   flanked  by   the   Elders    and   chief 

priests 

And  other  members  of  the  great  Sanhedrin), 
The  new  inquisitor,  fierce  Caiaphas, 
Before  whom,  standing  bowed  and  guarded  yet 
By  the  rude  bailiff  that  had  smitten  Him, 
The  Holy  One  is  mute  and  patient  still: 
A  sight  to  heat  one's  blood,  this  Caiaphas, 
Backed  by  the  makeup  of  the  Sanhedrin, — 
At  this  unseemly  hour  and  circumstance, 
In  this  most  barbarous  and  unlawful  haste  — 
To  bring  the  Master  soon  before  themselves, 
Overwhelmingly  against  Him. 

Still  I  hope, 

And  order  being  called  by  the  Court-Crier, 
Many  of  these  who  are  Sanhedrists  — 
Priests,      Elders,      Sadducees,      and      zealous 

Scribes, — 
Seek  witness  in  the  throng  to   swear  against 

Him  — 

[  67  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


False  witness  thus  suborned  to  perjury  — 
And  these  being  questioned  to  a  certain  point 
Suggested  by  some  scribe,  seem  plausible 
To  undiscerning  ears,  in  their  quick  answer 
Suggested  by  the  question  (no  questioner 
Entering  the  lists  to  speak  for  the  Accused)  ; 
But  others  come  speaking  to  the  same  point, 
With  duller  ears  and  blunter  faculties, 
And  that  half  deference  which  Conscience  pays 
(Smothered  though  it  may  be  in  calumnies) 
To  open  Truth,  seeking  its  outward  semblance, 
And  so  involve  themselves  and  those  before  them 
In  such  confusion  and  perplexities 
As  often  Falsehood  for  her  votaries 
Holdeth  in  store. 

And  so  it  comes  about 
That  these  conspirers  to  subvert  the  Law 
Bare  naked  to  the  bone  the  infamy 
Of  their  assault  on  Justice,  and  so  doing, 
Even  the  deriders  are  themselves  derided 
By  the  unthinking  and  mercurial  mob 
Which  can  not  be  restrained  in  its  wild  outbursts. 

"  Then  Anger,  roused,  throws   caution  to  the 

dogs, 

Till  one  suborned  comes  with  uplifted  hand, 
Saying,  'This  fellow  said* — referring  to  the 

Christ  — 

[  68  ] 


BEFORE  CAIAPHAS 


* "  I'm  able  to  destroy  this  temple  of  God 
And  build  it  in  three  days,"  '  then  turns  to  go. 
Then  one  having  authority  ('twas  Nicodemus) 
Says  to  the  scribe  who  did  the  questioning, 
'  Ask  of  Him  if  He  did  not  say  it  thus : 
"Destroy  this  temple"   (where  ye  both  then 

were) 

"  And  I  again  will  raise  it  in  three  days?  " ' 
At  this  a  scowl  like  to  a  passing  cloud 
O'er  a  blue  sky  darkens  their  eager  brows 
And,  sets  the  jaws  of  the  Sanhedrinists. 
But  Nicodemus  being  one  of  them, 
With  right  to  ask,  the  Scribe  the  question  puts, 
An'  th'  witness,  careless  of  fact,  but  swift  to 

please, 

Presuming  now  the  plain  truth  will  suffice, 
Before  a  fitting  protest  can  be  framed, 
At  once  admits  such  is  the  truth, 
While    Caiaphas    looks    ill-pleased   and   pallid* 

cheeked. 

"  Another  witness,  called  in  desperation, 
Being  inquired  of  upon  the  same  point, 
And  coupling  so  the  other  with  himself 
And  seeking  so  to  justify  himself, 
Stateth  the  matter  timidly  and  thus : 
'  We    heard    Him    say,    "  /    will    destroy    this 
Temple 

[69] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


That  is  made  with  hands,  and  within  three  days 
I'll  build  another  one  made  without  hands."  ' 
At  first  none  speaks  to  this,  and  being  counter 
To  either  view  of  what  the  other  claimed, 
And  restoration  to  succeed  destruction 
Within  so  short  a  time,  no  harm  could  fall, 
As  was  quite  clear  within  the  proof  itself 
Under  the  purview  of  the  threat  implied, 
Even  had  the  perjured  witness  spoken  truth. 
Beside,  if  either  witness  speaks  the  truth 
The  other  surely  is  a  falsifier, 
And  these  fierce  sticklers  for  formality 
Have  so  produced  both  witnesses  themselves 
And  cannot  claim  that  either  speaketh  false, 
This  proof  of  its  own  weight  falls  and  is  naught. 

"  Still  Nicodemus,  anxious  for  the  truth, 

Ventures  another  searching  query  thus: 

4  Were  there  not  threats  at  that  time  to  destroy 

Him?  ' 
To  which  the  witness  answers, '  So  I  think.' 

*  Was  't  then  the  Prisoner  spake  what  thou  hast 

said? ' 

To  which  the  witness  thus :     '  Belike  'tis  so.' 
Then  Nicodemus  further  questions  thus : 

*  When   he   spake    of   "  this   temple "    as   thou 

say'st, 
Referred  He  not  to  His  own  body  there  — 

[  TO  ] 


BEFORE  CAIAPHAS 


The  temple  of  His  life  —  His  tabernacle 
Earthly,  named  in  the  Word?  *     To  which: 

*  I  know  not  surely ;  ask  of  one  who  knows.' 
And  many  jeer  at  this,  but  some  are  silent, 
Yet  soon  the  jeering  dies,  though  unrebuked. 

"  Now  when  they  seek  for  witness  in  the  throng, 
I  think  and  hope  I  surely  shall  be  called, 
And  so  state  loudly  that  I'll  tell  the  truth 
In  all  things  touching  what  I  know  of  Him, 
His  life  and  teaching,  works  and  ministry, 
Thinking  my  traitorous  act  will  win  their  trust 
And  give  me  chance  to  ease  my  troubled  soul 
And    set    Truth's    words    against   my    acts    of 

treason. 

But  still  they  call  me  not  and  ask  me  nothing. 
But  when  this  dead  lull  falls  for  a  short  space 
With  the  flat  failure  of  the  proof  suborned, 
Hope  springs  once  more  that  now  my  time  has 

come 
From  their  else  lack  of  wherewith  to  proceed. 

66  But  Caiaphas,  livid  with  pent-up  rage, 
Rises  from  his  seat,  and  to  the  Master  thus : 

*  Sayest  thou  nothing?     What  is  it  which  these 
Witness  against  Thee  ?  ' 

But  still  the  unbroken  silence 
(His  eyes  seeming  to  search  the  Invisible) 

[•n 1 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


That  He  had  kept  through  all  this  second  act 
In  mockery  of  the  Law,  He  still  maintains, 
Scarce  noting  in  His  awful  weariness 
And  vast  absorption  and  profoundest  thought, 
What  was  transpiring  in  His  actual  presence, 
Being   numbed   with   sorrow.     Then    Caiaphas 

strong 

In  the  vain  pride  of  his  hot  self-importance, 
Abandons  the  bald  pretext  of  this  query, 
And  waving  violent  arms,  unlawfully 
Propounds  unto  the  prisoner  direct 
Another,  previously  not  touched  upon, 
Speaking  in  seething  passion  to  Him  thus : 
*  I  do  adjure  Thee  by  the  Living  God 
That  Thou  do  tell  us  whether  Thou  art  Christ, 
The  Son  of  God.' 

And  Jesus  answering 
(Ready  at  all  times  to  uphold  the  truth, 

AND    MOEE    THAN    EVER    IN    THIS    TIME    OF    PEEIL 

To  acquaint  the  world  with  His  Messiahship), 
Speaks  calmly,  simply  saying, 

4  Thou  hast  said. 
Nevertheless  I  say  and  unto  you, 
Hereafter  shall  you  see  the  Son  of  Man 
Sitting  on  the  right  hand  of  Power,  and  coming 
In  the  clouds  of  Heaven.' 

Then  Caiaphas, 
[72  ] 


BEFORE  CAIAPHAS 


The  High-Priest,  in  his  sorrow  of  fierce  zeal 
Doth  rend  his  priestly  vestments,  speaking  thus : 
*  He   hath   spoken   blasphemy !     What   further 

need 

Have  we  of  witnesses?     Behold,  now  ye 
Have  heard  His  blasphemy  from  His  own  lips, 
What  think  ye  ?  '     And  they  answer  bitterly, 
These  callous  priests,  these  heartless  Sanhedrists, 
6  He  worthy  is  of  death,'  and  this  is  said 
'Mid  a  tumultuous  clamor. 

Now  they  smite 

Again,  and  buffet,  yea,  and  spit  on  Him, 
Mocking  with  clamorous  insult  that  Great  Soul 
Of  Love  and  Kindness,  come  to  save  the  World. 
And  O  my  heart  grows  sick!     Yet  not  the  end, 
For  now  the  whole  Sanhedrin  must  assemble 
To  pass  upon  —  annul  or  yet  affirm  — 
The  findings  of  the  Court  of  Caiaphas. 
So  Hope's  dull  spark  a  sickly  glow  takes  on, 
Fanned  by  the  feeble  breath  of  stricken  Justice. 

"  And   now  ?     And   now   to   the   High   Jewish 
Court 

Whose  members  had  been  listening  to  the  things 

Called    hearings    before    Annas,    before    Caia- 
phas— 

These  midnight  orgies  of  distorted  fear 
[  73  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


And  hellish  hatred  and  mad  prejudice 
And  greedy  jealousy  and  all  bad  passions, 
Holding  their  open  court  in  the  shut  night, 
Insulting  form  of  Law  and  sense  of  order 
Unto  the  Law's  deep,  everlasting  shame, — 
But  now  Sanhedrin,  and  its  Hall  of  Judgment. 

"  And  so  the  brazen  gates  whence  Caiaphas 
Had  watched  the  living  flood  surround  his  seat, 
Are  opened  outward  and  the  angry  ebb, 
Shouting    and    mocking,    finds    its    way    from 

thence 

(All  sense  of  good  or  semblance  of  restraint 
Gone  from  amongst  them,  sure  and  utterly), 
Still  following  the  Master,  bound  and  held, 
And  now  led  down  a  further  exit  stair 
Into  the  open  court,  thence  to  pass  out 
To  the  new  Forum  of  the  great  Sanhedrin. 
The  order  of  their  going  is  the  same 
(Barring  disorder  that  is  past  description) 
As  that  when  issuing  from  the  hall  of  Annas. 
I  gain  a  footing,  mute  and  horrified, 
Nearer  the  throng  that  eddies  round  the  Master 
As  He  is  urged  and  thrust  and  led  along. 

"  Now  the  chill  morning  air,  I  know  not  why, 
Doth  seem  to  smite  the  marrow  of  my  bones 
As  we  pass  by  an  open-sided  porch 


BEFORE  CAIAPHAS 


With  broad  arched  doorways  looking  out  on  us. 
From    'yond    the    arches,    servants,    watchmen, 

porters 

Cluster  about  an  open  brazier  burning 
Light  fuel  to  dispel  the  morning  chill, 
While  a  stout  Jewish  maid,  with  arms  akimbo 
And    broad    hands    resting    on    her    hips, —  a 

portress 

With  keen  eyes  set  and  sharp,  sententious  voice, 
Speaks  to  one  standing  there  to  this  effect: 

*  This  man  is  also  one  of  His  disciples.' 

Then  in  a  voice  that  stirred  my  startled  senses 

Like  a  stone  falling  in  a  placid  pool, 

The  answer  comes,  '  I  am  not.'     Then  another: 

*  Did  I  not  see  thee  in  the  garden  with  Him?  * 
Then  comes  the  answer,  linked  with  many  oaths 
In  hot  denial. 

O  poor  Simon  Peter! 
I  pity  thee  for  thy  weak  cowardice, 
And  thy  bald  falsehood,  and  low  blasphemy; 
I  pity  thee  as  none  will  pity  me, 
For  the  accursed  role  that  I  have  played 
Was  not  from  fear,  but  hoping  good  might 

come. 

(But  who  goes  courting  wrong  with  the  intent 
That  in  some  manner  good  may  come  of  it, 
Hath  fallen  squarely  in  the  pit  of  evil.) 
But  Peter  hath  scarce  spoken  when  a  cock 
[  75  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OP  CHRIST 


Within  the  temple  precincts  and  hard  by, 
Flapping  exultant  wings,  crows  loud  and  clear, 
Greeting  the  graying  east  with  ecstasy 
In  clarion  tones  that  everyone  may  hear. 
And  Jesus,  passing  at  the  time  an  arch, 
Doth  witness  Peter  in  his  mad  denial, 
And  His  head  droops,  the  silken-bearded  chin 
Sinks  on  His  breast,  'bove  that  Great  Heart  of 

Pity, 

To  hear  himself  denied  by  one  He  loves. 
And  Peter,  startled  by  the  cock's  loud  call, 
Looks  up  and  sees  the  Master  passing  by, 
With  face  bent  towards  him,  tottering  weak  and 

troubled 

'Neath  such  a  load  as  mortal  never  bare ; 
And  their  eyes  meet,  and  Peter  seems  o'ercome, 
Then  flees  into  the  night,  sobbing  and  weeping 
In  self-reproach  and  mental  agony. 
Still,  do  I  truly  envy  him  his  grief, 
For  lo,  the  Master's  gaze  had  rested  on  him 
With  only  love  and  pity  in  those  eyes, 
Searching  and  wonderful,  and  no  rebuke 
Was  on  His  tongue,  but  only  silence  —  silence 
More  eloquent  than  a  whole  world  of  words, 
Silence  that  said,  *  I  know  the  flesh  is  weak,' 
Silence  that  pleaded,  '  Peter,  do  My  work,' 
Silence  that  stamped  on  that  weak,  trembling 

heart 

[76] 


BEFORE  CAIAPHAS 


His  Message,  to  the  World  to  be  delivered, 
Silence  that  said,  '  Farewell !     I  come  again. 
Be  not  discouraged,  for  I  know  thy  grief,' 
'Twas  such  as  time  might  cure,  with  sacrifice, 
And  scalding  tears  might  serve  to  wash  away. 
But  mine  —  my  grief,  is  of  such  gloomy  depth 
That  but  one  thing  can  ever  lighten  it. 

"  When  Peter,  self -abased  by  his  denial 
And  self-convicted  of  its  heinousness, 
Rushes  forth  in  tears  bewailing  his  offense, 
Those  having  the  World's  Light  in  custody 
Deride  Him  further,  saying,  '  Heard'st  Thou 

that  hind, 

That  boorish  fisherman,  Thy  dear  disciple, 
Denying  Thee,  his  Prophet,  with  rude  oaths? 
The  mongering  Galilean,  with  the  odor 
Of  his  ill-smelling  craft  still  clinging  to  him, 
Is  yet  ashamed  of  Thee,  and  so  doth  weep 
Because  'tis  said  he  kept  Thee  company.' 
Then  the  low  wretches  jeer  and  scoff  again, 
And  laugh,  and  spit  upon  Him  as  He  passes. 
And  those   cold  treacherous   priests  and   Sad- 

ducees 

Join  in  the  shameless  mirth  with  fiendish  relish, 
Till  one,  emboldened  still  above  the  rest, 
Casts  o'er  His  head  and  face  a  woolen  garment, 
Thus  to  blindfold  Him,  and  they  smite  Him  so 
[77  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


Upon  His  face,  His  brow,  His  cheeks,  and  say : 
*  Now   prophesy  to  us   who   is   't  that  smote 

Thee?' 

And  once  again  the  round  of  ribald  mirth 
Peels  through  the  throng  all  horrible  and  hoarse, 
Like  devils'  laughter  bubbling  up  from  hell." 


[78] 


STAGE     III 
BEFORE  THE  SANHEDRIN 

J  rilWAS  not  yet  day  when  the  deriding  ceased 
A     On  that  black  afternight  when  Caiaphas 
And  his  adherents  in  the  inquiry, 
Sitting  in  judgment  on  the  Prince  of  Peace, 
Made  their  base  finding  recommending  death, 
Summoned  Sanhedrin  and  dismissed  the  throng. 
But  as  Sanhedrin  might  not  sit  till  Sun 
Thrust  his  red  rim  above  the  horizon, 
The  guard-house  just  beyond  the  High-Priest's 

palace 

Must  so  receive  the  Master's  suffering  body 
To  'wait  the  sitting  of  the  One-and-Seventy. 
Yet  even  this  short  time  brought  not  surcease 
Of  ache  of  jaded  soul  and  wearied  limb, 
Already  plagued  by  taunts  and  nameless  insults, 
Already  put  to  blows  and  spat  upon; 
But  even  here  the  brutal  armed  guards 
Kept  sleep  at  half-arm  by  their  drowsy  gibes, 
And  rest  on  thistles  with  their  mockeries. 
Yet  through  it  all  He  uttered  no  complaint, 
Nor  His  tormenters   blamed  as   enemies, 
But  in  His  pain  and  weakness  prayed  for  them! 
As  part  of  those  His  sufferings  were  to  save. 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


As  the  Sun's  coming  brought  the  new-born  day 
Ushered  in  rosy  filaments  of  dawn 
Upon  the   eastern   margin   of  the   world, 
The  sentry  from  the  temple  tower  proclaimed 
The  new  arrival  in  Time's  endless  host. 
The  guard  relieved,  transferred  their  prisoner 
To  their  relievers,  and  now  roughly,  these, 
Striking    their    spear    butts    on    the    sounding 

floor, 

Ordered  the  Master  to  His  feet  again. 
Sore  in  His  flesh,  and  stiffened  in  His  joints, 
Haggard  from  murdered  sleep,  bowed  with  the 

bulk 

And  burden  of  the  whole  world's  crushing  sins, 
He  struggled  upright,  using  His  bound  hands 
Now  to  the  fore  to  aid  the  pain-numbed  thews 
Of  loins  and  nether  limbs  to  lift  their  load, 
Clutching  a  stapled  ring  driven  in  the  wall 
To  which  He  had  been  chained;  and  so  assumed 
Semblance  of  one  who  seeks  to  stand  erect. 

Chill  was  the  air,  and  this  had  driven  off 
The  rabble  to  their  homes  to  seek  small  rest 
In  soothing  sleep  and  quieting  composure, 
After  the  mad  excitement  of  the  night. 
These  and  their  betters  now  were  filing  back 
In  pairs  and  singly  to  the  scene  of  torment, 
[80  ] 


BEFORE  THE  SANHEDRIN 

Talking  in  whispered  tones  of  what  might  fol- 
low. 

Rigid  and  silent  'gainst  the  prison  wall 
Which  held  the  Master,  a  gaunt  figure  leaned 
As   though   his   ears   would   rob   the   listening 

stones 
Of  what   might   reach   them   from  their   inner 

sides, 

Fencing  the  Son  of  Man.     Black  was  his  hair, 
And  coal  black  were  his  eyes,  restless  and  wild, 
Burning  like   twin   stars   in   else   empty   sky 
Beneath  a  cloud  of  brow,  narrow  but  high ; 
The  mouth  was  wide,  lips  thin  and  set  and  firm, 
Betokening  a  spirit  hot  and  rash, 
Being  aroused.     A  curling  mustachio 
Blackened  the  upper  lip,  and  cheeks  and  chin 
Bore  the  scant  beardage  of  a  land  of  sun, 
Tufting  the  sallow  skin;  over  the  mouth, 
Like  the  black  eagle's  beak,  the  forceful  nose 
Stood  out  to  dominate  the  tendencies 
Of  an  ambitious,  though  not  evil  nature, 
But  one  that  suddenly  might  grasp  a  purpose 
With  desperate  resolve,  unwittingly, 
Not  thinking  deeply  of  the  right  or  wrong 
In  its  inception,  looking  to  the  end, 
Counting  results  only,  as  he  would  have  them, 
[81] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


But  lacking  judgment  in  his  premises, 

And  power  to  square  his   conscience  with  the 

right 
In  his  swift,  vigorous  action. 

This  was  Judas. 

Sleep  had  not  visited  his  deep-set  eyes, 
Nor  peace  his  soul,  nor  rest  his  rugged  body, 
Nor  calm  the  tempest  of  his  tortured  mind, 
Since  first  he  set  his  horrid  enterprise 
Nimbly  afoot,  coached  by  the  Sadducees, 
The  Priests  and  Elders,  and  their  high  abettors, 
Dreaming  of  fame  to  come  unto  himself, 
And  glory,  some  way,  to  his  sinless  Master, 
And  triumph  to  His  Kingdom  and  His  Cause, 
As  he  had  understood  them ;  and  not  least, 
Uplifting  him,  the  twelfth,  above  the  eleven 
In  power  and  preference  which  they  all  sought, 
With  jealous  'vantage,  following  the  world. 
But  now  he  had  no  body,  had  no  eyes, 
No  limbs,  no  anything  that  indicated  pain 
Or  torturing  discomforts  of  the  flesh, 
For  his  whole  being  centered  in  his  soul; 
His  mind,  his  spirit, —  all  one  ghastly  whirl 
Of  conscious  torment,  unavailing  sorrow, 
And  spiritual  darkness  shrouding  him, 
With  but  one  thread  of  hope  for  anchorage, 
And  this  seemed  parting. 

StiU  he  clung  to  it  — 


BEFORE  THE  SANHEDRIN 

A  spider-strand  in  the  Sanhedrin  web. 
He  set  the  mighty  tragedy  afoot ; 
He  hath  portrayed  it  in  its  swift  unfolding ; 
Let  him  continue : 

"  Now  it  is  day  once  more, 

Though  it  hath  seemed  that  day  would  never 

come 

To  earth  again,  and  night  would  bide  forever; 
Yet  it  is  day.     The  brazen  door  swings  in, 
A  trumpet  sounds,  and  from  the  prison's  depths 
Once  more  the  Master  comes  into  the  light 
Which  He  makes  lighter  with  His  moving  smile, 
Ineffably  sweet,  though  deeply  sorrowful, 
As,  bounden  still  and  guarded  as  before, 
He  steps  off  painfully  through  the  open  square 
Toward  that  famous  chamber  of  the  Temple  — • 
The  Hall  of  Judgment. 

As  He  passes  on, 

The  crowd  assembles,  intermixes,  follows, 
Without  restraint  or  order,  in  the  open; 
Yet  no  deriding,  no  denouncing  speech 
Chafes  the  sweet  morning  air,  for  the  Sanhedrin 
Has  now  assembled  in  its  mighty  hall  — 
The  Hall   of  the   Cut   Stones,   famed   for   its 

splendor  — 

To  sit  in  council,  and  its  president, 
The  High-Priest  Caiaphas,  can  still  direct, 
[  83  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


But  not  control,  the  action  of  the  whole, 
The  judgment  of  the  One-and-Seventy. 

"  What  if  the  major  part  should  not  affirm 
The  hasty  action  of  the  night  committee? 
The  thought  of  this  keeps  the  rude  throng  in 

silence. 

What  if  the  aged  Annas  should  renounce 
The  unspoken  sentence  that  his  acts  implied, 
And  his  great  influence,  though  but  chief  priest 

here, 

Turn  in  the  accustomed  channels  of  the  Law? 
What  if  some  champion  in  the  open  court, 
Fearless  for  Right,  and  eloquent  for  Justice, 
Should  rise  up  from  his  seat  and  point  the  way 
Through    Pentateuch    and    Torah    to    acquit- 
tal— 

A  way  plain  to  a  dullard,  such  as  I? 
The  thought   of  these  things   keeps   my   hope 

alive, 
Sick  though  it  be,  and  famished  nigh  to  death. 

"  But  I  move,  following  Him.     The  easy  steps, 

Fifteen  in  number,   of  white  alabaster, 

Up  which  the   guard's   rude   strength  assisteth 

Him, 

Have  scarce  been  raised,  when  I  am  on  the  first 
And  following  Him,  as  oft  I've  been  before. 
[84] 


BEFORE  THE  SANHEDRIN 

But  O,  how  different,  for  now  He  sees  me  not, 
And  knows  not  of  me,  or  if  yea,  to  blame? 
The  thought  consumes  my  breath,  but  still  I 
follow. 

"  O'er  the  broad  pillared  porch,  spread  from 

the  steps, 

Is  He  conducted  to  the  marbled  floor 
Done  in  mosaic,  through  the  central  portal 
Leading  to  the  vast  hall,  and  from  its  threshold, 
My  glance,  sweeping  from  right  to  left, 
Measures  the  scene,  fixes  the  distances, 
And  stamps  the  sharp  details  upon  my  mind, 
Shewing  far  back,  three  tiers  of  armed  seats 
In  a  half  circle  spread  upon  the  floor. 
Flanking  like  key-stone  to  a  mighty  arch 
(A  quarter  circle  upon  either  side) 
A  central  platform  for  the  President, 
Bears  up  his  gilded  seat,  with,  on  each  side, 
A  simpler  seat,  merely  a  place  of  honor 
(Mark  of  distinction,  not  authority, 
Above  the   other  members   in   the   wings) 
For  any  whom  the  High-Priest  might  invite, 
While  a  low  table  spreads  before  the  three. 

"  Upon  the  gilded  chair,  the  President 
Caiaphas  sits,  and  at  his  right,  aged  Annas 
(And  my  heart  sinks  to  see  it,  and  my  hope), 
[85  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


While  at  the  left  the  honor  seat  is  vacant. 
Still,  that  half  circle  holds  Gamaliel, 
Learned  Doctor  of  the  Law,  and  counselor 
Pre-eminent  in  learning  and  in  wisdom, 
Grandson  of  Hillel  famous  in  the  past, 
Noted  for  honesty  and  love  of  Justice, 
Famed  for  deep  insight  and  abundant  mercy, 
So  overtopping  all  in  great  attainments. 
Yet  is  the  left-hand  seat  of  honor  vacant 
And  my  soul  quails  to  see  him  thus  ignored, 
As  boding  evil  to  the  cause  of  Justice. 
But  there  he  sits,  kindly  and  open-faced, 
In  the  right  wing,  and  my  eyes  range  to  others ; 
The  triple  tier  of  faces  wear  a  frown, 
Betokening  hostile  thoughts  and  fixed  conclu- 
sions. 

Relieved,  my  glance  at  point  of  the  left  wing 
Rests  first  on  one  I  know,  and  then  another, 
Whom  I  have  often  seen  in  the  years  gone, 
And   each   looks   kindly,    but    exceeding   trou- 
bled— 

'Tis  Nicodemus,  and  his  good  friend  Joseph 
Of  Arimathea. 

"  A  half  score  scribes 

Sit  at  the  tables  near  to  each  wing's  point, 
Ready  to  make  notations  in  the  case, 
Quill  over  ear,  and  papyrus  before  them. 
[  86] 


BEFORE  THE  SANHEDRIN 

Betwixt  the  tables  goes  the  Master  up 
Still  bound,  and  hurried  by  two  officers, 
And  stands  before  the  gilded  central  seat 
For  trial  now  before  the   great   Sanhedrin; 
And  Caiaphas,  arising,  speaks   and  thus: 
6  Learned    counselors    and    elders,    priests    and 

scribes, 

Members  in  each  degree  of  this  tribunal, 
Great  in  the  past  and  glorious  in  the  present, 
And  zealous  always  for  the  cause  of  God, 
Under  the  Law,  and  mindful  of  the  Prophets: 
Ye  are  convoked  to  sit  in  open  session 
Of  our  Sanhedrin  at  this  time  and  place 
To  pass  upon  the  findings  'gainst  this  Man, 
Of  your  committee,  under  my  direction, 
In  recent  session  at  our  priestly  palace. 
This  Man  ye  oft  have  seen,  and  all  well  know, 
Jesus  of  Nazareth,  a  son  of  Joseph, 
Himself  a  carpenter,  as  was  his  father, 
Stands  bound  before  you,  under  heavy  judg- 
ment 
With  penalty  of  death,  both  for  review. 

"  *  Ye  know  the  Man,  and  know  of  His  assump- 
tions ; 

Have  felt  the  insult  of  His  spoken  scorn; 
Seen  exhibitions  of  his  so-called  healing, 
With  claim  and  pretense  that  it  is  from  God; 
[  87  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


Know  of  His  demonstrations  in  the  Temple, 
Bespeaking  it,  forsooth,  His  Father's  house ; 
Lashing  the  money-changers  from  its  courts, 
Although  they  served,  and  well,  a  public  need; 
And  stating  too,  about  the  swift  destruction 
Of  this  stupendous  monument  of  God, 
And  its,  by  Him,  miraculous  rebuilding 
Within  three  days. 

The  most  of  you  were  present 
At  our  late  inquiry,  and  heard  witnesses 
Speak  on  these  points,  and  know  their  evidence, 
Which  as  you  know  was  waived  on  the  accused 
Stating  in  open  court  before  all  present 
That  He  is  Son  of  the  Almighty  God. 
This  is  rank  blasphemy,  and  self -avowed, 
And  as  ye  all  then  present  are  aware, 
On  this  He  was  adjudged,  all  other  charges 
That  might  be  brought  within  the  evidence 
Being  abandoned,  and  the  hearing  closed 
With  the  death  sentence,  subject  to  review, 
By  this  most  august  council  and  full  court.1 
Jesus  of  Nazareth,  make  known  to  us 
What   sayest   Thou   against   this   entered   sen- 
tence.' 

"  Through  all  this  heavy  monologue  of  fact 
Assumed  to  be,  and  premises  declared, 
The  Master  listens,  listens  as  not  hearing 
[88] 


BEFORE  THE  SANHEDRIN 

Its  empty  words  and  sounding  sentences, 
And  even  its  demand  and  closing  query 
.He  answers  not,  but  closed  and  silent  still 
The  pallid  lips,  the  level,  thrilling  voice 
That  I  have  heard  so  oft  in  the  sweet  fields 
And  blooming  valleys  of  dear  Galilee, 
And  on  its  mountain  slopes,  and  its  bright  lake. 

"  Then  some  within  the  court  call  mockingly, 

*  If  Thou  'rt  the  Christ  then  tell  us,'  but  He 

sayeth, 

*  If  I  should  tell  you,  ye  would  not  believe, 
And  if  I  question  you,  ye  will  not  answer,' 
Then  lapses  He  to  silence  as  before. 

Then  Caiaphas,  losing  temper,  'quires  again, 
'Answerest   nothing   still?'     And   still  but  si- 
lence. 
Then  Caiaphas,  in  most  insulting  tones : 

*  Art  Son  of  God  to-day  ?  '  and  Christ : 

'I  am, 
To-day  and  all  days, 

And  as  said  before.* 
Then  Caiaphas,  discomfited,  his  taunt 
Thrust  back  into  his  throat  by  that  calm  voice, 
In  passionate  outburst  of  vehement  rage: 
4  Ye    hear    again?     What    need    for    further 

proofs  ? 

He  doth  reiterate  His  blasphemy 
£89] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


Before  the  whole   Sanhedrin.     Now  what  say 
ye?' 

"  The  rim  of  the  half-circle  throbs  in  tumult, 
But  ere  it  calms,  so  a  true  vote  can  be, 
The  grave  Gamaliel,  rising  from  his  seat, 
White-haired  and  venerable,  thrusts  a  thin  hand 
Towards  his  colleagues  and  addresses  them: 
*  Brethren,  be  calm,  and  think  before  you  vote 
On  this  momentous  matter  now  before  you. 
Some  knowledge  of  the  Law,  and  precedents 
Writ  in  the  scrolls  by  those  who've  gone  before, 
And  all  of  it  retained  in  memory, 
Doth  make  me  pause  much  in  the  instant  case. 
If  ye  affirm,  ye  give  this  Man  to  death, 
If  Rome  sees  fit  to  honor  your  decree. 
But  what  if  not?     Or  even  what  if  yea? 
In  the  first  instance  is  your  labor  mocked, 
And  in  the  other, —  stop  and  think  of  it! 

"  *  If  it  should  ever  prove  that  you  were  wrong, 
The  fact  that  no  appeal  from  the  Sanhedrin 
Lies  for  the  Accused,  but  only  your  cold  prayer 
For  execution  to  the  Governor, 
That  Rome  inflict  our  ordered  butchery, 
Would  not,  if  we  have  souls,  assuage  our  grief 
Or  wash  the  odium  of  this  day's  work 
Clean  from  the  records  of  this  ancient  court. 
[  90] 


BEFORE  THE  SANHEDRIN 

Last  night  a  large  committee  of  yourselves 
Adjudged  this  Man  to  death.     To  death  for 

what  ? 

What  was  the  basis  of  this  swift  procedure 
The  which  our  president  hath  just  disclosed 
Opened  an  inquiry  on  many  points, 
Loosely  promulgated  without  charge  or  order, 
And  finally  fixed  on  bald  blasphemy 
(Not  before  mentioned),  by  a  direct  question 
Of  our  great  president,  and  so  propounded 
Without  an  offering  by  the  Accused 
Of  the  same  matter  in  his  own  behalf, 
With  justifying  plea,  or  otherwise? 
Have  we  within  the  Torah  precedent 
By  written  finding,  script,  or  otherwise, 
Lodged  in  the  memory  of  any  here, 
Whereby  to  justify  this,  or  affirm? 
It  may  be  yea,  but  I  have  never  seen  it. 

"  *  Further,  my  brethren,  and  I  must  be  plain 
(Though  by  the  record  now,  it  is  not  vital, 
Our  chief  hath  mentioned  it),  witnesses  were 

called 

To  speak  of  certain  things  to  your  committee 
Touching  the  speech  and  conduct  of  th'  Ac- 
cused. 

Some  of  our  number,  and  I  blush  to  say  it, 
Left  their  judicial  seats  of  inquiry 

[  91  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


And  through  the  throng  sought  these  same  wit- 
nesses 
To  come  before  themselves,  who  were  to  judge 

Him, 

And  testify  against  the  Prisoner. 
I  will  not  say  these  witnesses  were  asked 
To  state  things  thus  and  so.     Enough  it  is 
To  know  their  words  brought  shame  and  blame 

to  us, 

To  every  man  who  sat,  an  acting  judge 
In  that  proceeding.     Let  me  ask:     Since  when 
Might  any  member  of  the  grave  Sanhedrin 
Act  pander  to  the  council  where  he  sits 
In  search  for  witnesses  to  come  before  it, 
And  so  before  himself,  sitting  in  judgment? 
Last  night,  from  midnight  till  the  sky   grew 

gray, 

Standing  in  bonds,  upon  His  feet  all  night, 
As  I  do  learn,  even  as  now  He  stands, 
This  Prisoner  with  none  to  speak  for  Him 
Was  subject  to  a  double  inquiry, 
In  an  unusual  place,  as  I  believe, 
At  an  unusual  time,  as  I  suggest. 
Will  any  give  me  light  upon  these  matters? 

"  '  Brethren,  this  hour  is  big  with  consequence ; 
I  feel  it  so,  I  cannot  tell  you  why. 
Grant  that  this  Man  hath  treated  us  with  scorn, 
[92] 


BEFORE  THE  SANHEDRIN 

Hath  trampled  under  foot  observances, 
Hallowed  to  us  and  to  our  ancestors, 
Hath  powers  assumed  and  great  prerogatives 
Which  ill  comport  with  our  authority 
Granted  to  us  from  the  remotest  past 
By  God  and  Moses,  His  unfailing  Prophet, 
And  so  doth  rouse  our  animosities  — 
Shall  we  let  our  own  hatred  blind  our  Justice 
And  send  to  death  one  who  displeases  us, 
Because  of  our  displeasure,  and  by  methods 
So  out  of  joint  with  those  prevailing  here? 
Think  of  it,  brethren,  ere  it  be  too  late ! 

"  *  If  this  Man  here  be  only  an  impostor, 

And  such  is  proven,  then  some  punishment 

Should  in  due  course  be  visited  upon  Him. 

Hath  proof  been  made  on  any  fixed  charge 

Whereof  our  law  takes  rightful  cognizance, 

Fixing  the  penalty  of  death  for  it?  — 

A  penalty  this  court  may  not  enforce 

But  needs  must  call  the  mighty  power  of  Rome 

On  her  crossed  gibbet,  so  to  expiate 

The  venom  of  our  hatred  'gainst  this  Man. 

"  *  Rome    is    a    pagan    power.     Now    what   to 

Rome 

Portends  your  finding  here  for  blasphemy 
Against  our  God,  even  should  ye  affirm  it? 
[93  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


Will  Rome  consent  to  be  our  hired  butcher 
Without  a  question  of  this  Man's  offense, 
If  Rome  be  just?     I  surely  cannot  think  it. 
Further,  this  Man,  as  we  do  all  well  know, 
Hath  a  great  following  among  the  people ; 
His  life  is  spotless,  and  His  power  great, 
Healing  the  sick,  feeding  great  hungry  throngs 
Miraculously  who  come  to  hear  His  doctrine 
Spoken  with  power  and  great  persuasiveness, 
And  illustrated  by  sweet,  simple  truths 
That  hedge  about  the  lot  and  lives  of  men. 
These  are  a  few  strands  in  the  silken  cord 
With   which  He  binds  the  common  people  to 

Him. 
His  sect  will  thrive  on  that  with  which  ye  feed 

it; 

If  this  be  persecution,  then  beware! 
Deprive  this  Man  of  life ;  thousands  will  rise 
(His  friends,  and  all  who  loathe  pure  persecu- 
tion) 

In  every  land  to  carry  on  His  work, 
And  will   brave  bonds   and   sword   and  fire  to 

do  it; 

While  if  ye  pay  no  heed  to  Him  at  all, 
His  creed  must  perish  by  its  own  dead  weight 
If  so  'tis  built  on  error  and  on  wrong, 
And  Jewry  triumph,  as  it  ought  to  do. 

[  94  ] 


BEFORE  THE  SANHEDRIN 

"  '  I  am  reminded  as  I  speak  to  you, 
Resting  my  gaze  upon  this  Man,  the  Accused, 
That  years  ago,  when  I  was  a  young  man, 
A  lad  came  straying  softly  through  the  Temple 
And  took  a  seat  before  the  learned  doctors 
Versed  in  the  Law  and  Spiritual  Doctrine. 
He  was  not  forward,  nor  was  He  abashed, 
But  looked  into  the  faces  of  all  present 
With  such  sweet  winning  trust,  such  confidence 
In  Self,  and  faith  in  all  about  Him  there, 
That  all  were  drawn  to  Him  unwittingly. 
Then  He  began  at  once  to  question  us 
(For  I  was  one  of  them)  with  such  keen  in- 
sight, 

Such  depths  of  knowledge,  such  matured  wis- 
dom, 

That  we  were  all  astonished  and  confused, 
For  the  child  seemed,  if  measured  by  His  years, 
But  little  past  the  age  of  half-a-score, 
Yet  did  His  queries  test  the  venerables, 
Speaking  foreknowledge  that  breathed  proph- 
ecy- / 
And  when  at  length  a  man  and  woman  came 

Claiming  His  parentage,  and  chiding  Him 
For  lack  of  thought  in  lingering  so  behind 
While  they  had  started  for  their  distant  home 
(It  being  shortly  by  the  Passover), 
We  felt  relieved  of  our  embarrassment, 

[  95  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


But  were  again  perplexed  by  His  strange  an- 
swer, 

Ignoring  them;  'twas: 

"  Wist  ye  not  that  I 

Must  be  about  My  Father's  business  ?  " 

Yet   He   went   with  them,   and   we   exchanged 
glances 

As  they  departed,  and  were  dumb  with  wonder. 

"  '  One  sitteth  here  that  will  remember  this, 

Beside  myself  —  our  learned  brother  Annas, 

And  we  two  only  of  the  whole  survive, 

That  were  among  the  doctors  gathered  there. 

It  only  goes  to  this :     As  my  soul  liveth, 

I  do  believe  that  lad  is  now  before  us 

In  this  strange  Man  of  Majesty  and  Power, 

Clothed  in  humility  and  fearing  naught, 

Save  that  the  Truth  may  someway  be  obscured. 

Is  this  Man  then  of  God,  or  is  He  not? 

When  was  another  like  Him  in  the  world? 

Yet  are  we  looking  all  for  a  Messiah. 

I've  said  my  say,  my  brethren;  think  of  it. 

If  all  this  be  of  God,  what  opposition 

We  heap  upon  it  will  return  to  us 

To  plague  us  fitly  to  our  own  undoing.' 

"  While  this  plain  putting  of  the  naked  truth 
Troubles  the  hearts  of  many  here  in  judgment, 
[  96] 


BEFORE  THE  SANHEDRIN 

As  is  apparent  from  the  blanched  faces, 
Others  seem  prone  to  anger,  some  to  doubt ; 
And  my  poor  hope  doth  rise,  though  sorely 

stricken, 

That  surely  most  will  stand  on  Mercy's  side, 
And  on  the  side  of  Right  and  Law  and  Honor. 
For  one  of  them  had  said  unto  the  others 
Long  ere  this  horrid  carnival  of  wrong 
(These  words  are  ever  slipping  from  my  lips) : 
'  If  He  hath  broke  the  law,  then  why  not  try 

Him 

Under  the  law  as  ye  would  any  other? ' 
And,  fool,  I  thought  that  they  would  surely 

do  so 

And  saw  in  it  triumphant  vindication, 
And  power,  and  honor,  and  increasing  glory. 
But  while  I  muse,  communing  idly  thus, 
Robed  Annas,  rising  up  at  Caiaphas'  side, 
Full  of  deep  insight  and  experience, 
Hoary   with  age  and  seeming  dignity, 
But  with  the  shade  of  insincerity 
Clouding  his  wrinkled  brow,  proceeds,  and  thus : 

" 6  Nasi,  and  brethren  of  this  august  council, 
I  rise  not  merely  to  make  argument 
To  justify  the  things  which  have  been  done. 
Let  the  occasion  justify  the  facts 

[  97  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


That  have  grown  from  it.     Our  learned  brother 

here 

(And  we  feel  proud  that  he  is  one  of  us) 
To  whose  vast  research  and  ability 
None  will  pay  greater  tribute  than  myself, 
Talks  much  of  Law  and  much  of  precedent, 
And  I  shall  not  endeavor  to  dispute 
His  stated  lack  of  both  to  authorize 
In  some  particulars  what  hath  been  done, 
And  what  is  pending  in  this  instant  case; 
That  is  not  to  the  point. 

In  all  the  Law 

Or  all  the  rulings  of  this  august  Body 
Where  is  there  mention  of  a  cause  like  this? 
Where  is  there  instance  of  a  mortal  man 
Born  of  a  woman,  brought  up  by  His  parents 
In  a  mean  village  at  a  craftman's  trade, 
The  which  He  left  not  until  recently, 
Still  young  in  years,  uncultured  by  the  schools, 
Bursting  at  once  in  priestly  arrogance  — 
Priest  above  high-priest  by  His   own  assump- 
tion — 

Into  the  sacred  precincts  of  the  Temple, 
A  stranger  in  our  midst,  dictating  doctrine 
To  those  the  twice  His  age  reared  in  its  shadow, 
And  speaking  ownership  in  His  Father's  name, 
Thereby  assuming  what  He  now  confesseth? 
[  98] 


BEFORE  THE  SANHEDRIN 

" '  All  this  is  known,  and  none  of  it  denied 
Of  this  Man  standing  here  a  prisoner. 
Is  it  then  wonder  that  no  precedent 
Or  any  law  covers  the  present  case? 
Hath  any  one  beside  in  all  the  years 
Claimed  to  be  Son  of  the  Almighty  God 
And  in  the  teeth,  too,  of  the  whole  Sanhedrin, 
Upon  the  High-Priest's  query? 

And  if  not, 

Why  talk  of  precedent  for  cause  like  this? 
As  well  seek  precedents  of  courts  for  dreams, 
And  law  to  govern  feverish  fantasies. 
Meantime  our  polity,  our  God-born  faith, 
Our  whole  religious  teachings,  offices, 
God-given,  our  emoluments,  authority, 
Having  a  thousand  years  for  their  foundation, 
Might  crumble  into  dust,  or  pass  like  mist 
While  we  were  searching  tomes  for  precedents. 
'Tis  not  a  case  for  such.     There  is  one  Law 
That  standeth  over  all  but  God  Himself, 
And  justifieth  who  appeal  to  it  — 
The  law  of  one's  self -saving,  self-defense. 
This  Man  must  die  or  we  ourselves  must  perish, 
Perish  in  power,  and  cease  in  consequence, 
Be  held  contemptible,  and  set  at  naught 
By  the  great  masses  that  have  followed  Him, 
Daily  increasing,  else  shall  our  faith 
[99] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


Be  undermined,  and  our  homes  beggared* 
It  cannot  be  endured  and  must  not  be. 

"  *  Our  brother  here  hath  spoken  of  a  lad 

Coming  into  the  Temple  long  ago, 

Winning,    yet    strange,    and    shewing    certain 

depth 

Of  understanding  far  beyond  His  years. 
I  do  remember  it.     My  brother  thinks 
That  promising  lad  is  now  the  assuming  Man 
Posing  before  us  as  the  Son  of  God. 
Such   things   do    come   and   go;   they    are    as 

dreams  — 

Nature's  extravagance  spent  in  the  blood 
That  feedeth  infants  in  the  mother's  womb, 
And  often  on  their  entry  to  the  world 
With  the  advancement  of  their  ripening  years 
Meanly  steals  back  that  thus  so  richly  given, 
Till  life  matures  in  mental  poverty; 
As  those  born  rich  oft  dwindle  in  estate 
And  come  at  last  into  a  pauper's  grave. 
As  to  the  prodigy  our  brother  cites, 
Had  He  not  passed  or  elsewise  been  obscured 
[This    priest    knows    better    deep    in    his    own, 

heart] , 

Had  we  not  heard  from  Him  in  twenty  years 
Ere  this  Man  made  sedition  in  our  midst? 
Imagination  surely  hath  disturbed 


BEFORE  THE 


Our  brother's  judgment  in  the  present  case, 
But  will  imagination  build  us  up 
When  all  we  are,  and  have,  is  laid  in  ruin 
By  this  Man's  machinations  'mong  the  people? 
I  will  not  more.     'Tis  vain  to  speak  so  much. 
I  but  repeat  :     This  Man  should  surely  die  !  ' 

"  As    this    harangue    advanced    and    gathered 

force, 

Arousing  anger,  founding  it  on  fear, 
Appealing  unto  every  Sanhedrist 
Through  the  approach  to  his  self-interest, 
And  finally  advising,  right  or  wrong, 
On  the  bare  basis  of  expedience, 
Adjudgment  of  the  Master  unto  death, 
Inviting  bond  of  murder  preconceived 
Among  these  judges  semicircled  here, 
The  set,  fierce  look  that  I  had  noticed  first 
Steals  o'er  the  features  of  the  most  of  them, 
And  shuddering  horror  seems  to  compass  me, 
As  he  sinks,  angry,  yet  in  seeming  fear 
Of  Him  whom  first  he  sought  so  to  belittle, 
Faint  to  his  armed,  waiting  seat  again. 

"  Then  to  my  own  astonishment  and  hope, 
Stands  Nicodemus,  a  wise  man  and  just, 
Rich,  and  of  much  influence,  aiding  many, 
Quiet,  and  level-tongued,  offending  none, 

[  101  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


Backward  for  one  of  his  estate  and  knowledge 
And  consequent  broad  contact  with  the  world, 
But  with  great  force  of  keen,  inquiring  wit, 
Of  marvelous  discernment,  soul  of  honor, 
Living  embodiment  of  active  mercy, 
Further  withal,  a  friend  unto  the  Master, 
A  lover  of  His  Doctrines  and  His  Love, 
A  silent  admirer,  by  no  means  a  feeble 
Upon  occasion,  as  before  I  knew. 
And  now  as  he  arises,  a  faint  flush 
Mounting  his  ruddy  cheeks  and  a  strange  light 
Burning  in  his  black  eyes,  he  seems  transfigured 
Into  a  very  pyramid  of  strength 
With  apex  in  the  blue,  as  he  proceedeth: 

"  '  President,  and  brethren  all,  do  pardon  me. 
I  feel  oppressed  by  what  I  just  have  heard. 
I  mean  to  none  ill-will  in  saying  so, 
I  hope  that  none  will  bear  ill-will  to  me 
For  any  utterance  which  I  may  make, 
For  oh,  my  heart  is  full,  and  had  I  words 
To  fit  my  feelings  and  a  voice  to  reach 
The  open  ears  of  all  your  consciences, 
Then  might  I  hope  ye  all  would  fully  heed  me 
And  bring  not  misery,  bring  not  hastiness, 
Bring  not  raped  Justice,  wringing  bloody  hands 
With  cries  of  wrong,  to  stand  about  your  beds, 
Breaking  your  slumbers  into  horrid  dreams 
[  102  ] 


BEFORE  THE  SANHEDRIN 

Until    yourselves    leap    screaming    from    your 

couches 

And  flee  in  darkness,  fearing  your  own  voices, 
By  the  affirmance  of  this  thing  decreed 
By  your  committee. 

Let  us  squarely  look 

At  some  things  that  have  just  been  said  to  us! 
"Tis  said  the  Prisoner  is  low  and  mean, 
With  little  schooling,  growth  of  a  mean  village, 
Young,  and  a  stranger.     Are  these  things,  then, 

crimes  ? 

No,  surely  there  's  no  punishment  for  these. 
'Tis  stated  further  that  this  ill-bred  Man, 
So  young  and  ignorant,  is  yet  so  forceful 
And  so  persuasive  that  the  list'ning  masses 
Do  follow  Him,  and  so  abandon  us. 
If  this  be  true,  then  have  we  cause  to  blush, 
Unless  some  mighty  power  upholdeth  Him ; 
If  this  be  so,  then  who  but  God  upholdeth? 
Is  His  whole  life  not  warrant  against  evil, 
Which    He    denounceth,    preaching    righteous- 
ness? 

And  wish  ye  as  a  Court  to  slay  Him  for  it? 
The  one  most  learned  of  our  entire  number 
Hath  said  there  is  no  law,  no  precedent 
To  affirm  the  thing  we  are  considering; 
The  one  most  ancient  readily  admits  it. 
They  are  agreed  on  this.     The  last  implies 
t  103  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


"  We  must  make  law,  to  cover  it,  and  now, 
And  now  enforce  it,"  so  enact  and  judicate 
In  the  one  sitting,  which  he,  in  effect, 
Doth  seem  to  advocate  before  you  here. 
One  trembles  at  the  thought ;  for  one  of  you 
Might  compass  any  lawful  thing  this  day 
And  in  the  ev'ning  be  dragged  from  your  bed 
Upon  another's  charge  and  frightened  clamor, 
This  Body  meet  at  once,  and  if  persuaded, 
Pronounce  the  thing  a  crime,  the  criminal 
So  made  to  hand,  convict  him  quietly 
By  a  committee,  as  was  'complished  here, 
Assemble  the  Sanhedrin  at  the  daybreak, 
Affirm  committee's  work  and  so  approve  it; 
Then  drag  you  off  for  Rome  to  nail  you  fast 
Upon  a  cross-barred  post  ere  you  had  missed 
A  single  meal  with  your  own  family. 
What  think  you  of  the  freedom  of  a  Jew, 
As  this  Man  is,  if  things  like  this  may  be? 

"  *  On  a  new  view  to  shew  some  other  things : 
Our  Annas,  whom  ye  all  do  venerate, 
Speaks   of  a  higher  law,   self-preservation, 
Self-defense.     Now  hath  this  Prisoner, 
This  Prophet  of  the  People,  Sent  of  God 
(As   they    maintain   and   with    much    show    of 

truth), 

Ever  been  known  to  seek  another's  life? 
[  104  ] 


BEFORE  THE  SANHEDRIN 

('Tis  stated  truly  that  He  hath  saved  hundreds, 
And  still  persists  in  conserving  life). 
No,  but  forsooth  He  certainly  should  die 
Because  He  hath  belittled  some  of  us, 
Robbed  us  of  homage,  and  attacked  our  creed, 
Reduced  our  profits  by  His  ultra  teachings ; 
And  more  to  the  same  purpose. 

And  if  true 

And  but  by  preaching  what  He  claimed  as  true 
Might  a  man  murdering,  to  escape  annoyance 
Such  as  is  claimed  here,  being  taken  for  it, 
Then  plead,  as  for  assault  made  on  his  life, 
And  say,  "  My  slaughter  was  in  self-defense  ?  " 
It  is  ignoble  to  insult  your  reason 
By  anything  like  this,  in  its  true  light. 
Here  ye  are  asked  to  kill,  and  justify 
(Of  course  I  speak  of  you  judicially) 
With  no  more  cause  than  in  the  case  supposed. 
But  what  hath  this  to  do  with  blasphemy, 
Of  which  the  Prisoner  was  adjudged  guilty? 
(And  so  acquitted  of  all  other  charges.) 
Yea,  and  'tis  said  on  His  own  evidence, 
And  an  affirmance  prayed  for  now  and  here. 
Before  us  then  this  Prisoner  so  questioned 
Reiterates  that  He's  the  Son  of  God. 
Is  there  another  witness  on  the  point? 
I  have  not  heard  one,  and  there  was  none  other ! 

[  105  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


" « Now  if  the  Court  itself  call,  for  itself, 
A  prisoner  to  be  witness  'fore  the  Court, 
And  do  in  nowise  contradict  the  witness 
By  any  other,  and  he,  called,  doth  show 
That  he  is  guiltless,  will  ye  punish  him, 
Defeat  your  cause  by  your  own  evidence, 
And  yet  pronounce  for  guilt  in  spite  of  it? 

"  *  As  is  well  known,  this  Man  hath  called  to  life 
Many  from  death;  amongst  them  Lazarus. 
Yourselves  had  witness  there  who  vouch  for  this. 
This  power  comes  but  from  God,  as  also  doth 
Much  else  —  shown  in  the  many  miracles 
Which  He  hath  wrought,  healing  afflicted  peo- 
ple, 

And  feeding  folk  by  thousands  with  a  morsel, 
With  the  food's  increase  after  all  had  eaten. 
Will  ye  sneer  that  the  devils  work  for  Him? 
He  stands  untarnished  in  His  purity  — 
Doth  Good  consort  with  Evil,  Evil  with  Good, 
To  do  a  righteous  and  praiseworthy  thing? 
Or  devils  —  do  they  good  themselves,  unaided? 
Further,  it  hath  been  promised  unto  us 
For   near  two   thousand   years,    and   we   have 

waited 
And  prayed,  and  looked,  and  longed,  and  wept 

for  it, 

First  in  the  Bondage  on  the  banks  of  Nile 
[  106] 


BEFORE  THE  SANHEDRIN 

Chanting  out  deep  despair  to  mighty  Pithom 
As  we  did  toil  and  sweat  to  build  her  up, 
Mere  beasts  of  burden  to  our  enemies 
Who  beat  and  scourged  us  to  our  daily  tasks. 
Till  Moses  came  to  help  us  flee  from  them ; 
Still  we  do  most  esteem  him  our  sole  prophet : 
Then  for  a  thousand  years  to  Solomon  — 
Even  David's  son,  first  builder  of  God's  Tern- 

pie- 

Waiting  a  Greater,  a  Messiah,  sent 
Direct  from  God  to  lead  and  govern  us. 
We  listened  to  the  Prophets  prophesy, 
And  for  they  chided  us  because  we  sneered, 
We  sometimes  seized  and  slew  them  in  our  rage, 
Rousing  the  wrath  of  the  Great  God  thereby, 
And  so  were  punished  and  the  Temple  stript 
Of  costly  service  and  be  jeweled  costumes 
And  given  to  destruction,  and  our  people, 
Children  and  aged,  driv'n  like  sheep  to  pasture 
By  human  wolves  for  dogs,  Chaldean  spears 
For  shepherd's  staffs  to  prod  us  on  the  way 
To  where  we  should  be  herded  in  due  time 
Like  pagan  asses  on  their  lonely  wastes. 

"  *  So  hath  Euphrates  heard  our  sorrowing 
And  Tigris  the  complaining  of  our  voices, 
Till  Heathen  Justice,  stronger  than  our  FaitKt 
Did  give  us  back  our  city  and  ourselves  — 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


The  temple  wares,  robbed  this  time  from  the 

robber, 

And  tendered  back  to  whom  they  first  belonged, 
Means,  and  a  builder,  e'en  Zerubbabel, 
To  rear  again  this  sacred  House  of  God, 
Partly  destroyed  and  then  rebuilded  fully 
After  five  hundred  years  by  the  Great  Herod, 
Who  planned  to  finish  it  and  garnish  it 
With  a  magnificence  before  not  reached, 
And  it  hath  been  accomplished  in  the  main, 
But  it  is  charged  (and  is  it  without  basis?) 
That  we  have  built  our  pride  and  our  injustice, 
Our  sanctimonious  observances, 
And  our  own  willfulness  to  full  completion, 
Ignoring  the  true  spirit  of  the  Law 
And  all  the  warnings  of  the  mighty  prophets. 

"  *  Here  fell  great  Zechariah  in  the  past, 
Long,  long  ago,  stoned  in  the  Temple  court 
For  that  he  dared  to  beard  an  empty  king 
For  his  idolatrous  and  lustful  life, 
And  shout  God's  truth  in  warning  to  his  people, 
And   here   were    slaughtered   many    a    prophet 

since, 
And  some   not  slaughtered  here   came   here   at 

last, 

Laden  with  insult  and  their  lives  gone  out  — 
[  108  ] 


BEFORE  THE  SANHEDRIN 

Borne  here  by  secret  friends  for  their  last  sleep. 
Truly  our  city  is  the  tomb  of  prophets 
Whom  we  have  given  but  a  burial  place, 
And  grudgingly,  for  all  they  sought  to  aid  us. 
And  then  the  desert  prophet,  mighty  John  1 
Yea,  that  majestic  head  and  peerless  body 
Sundered  apart,  his  followers  brought  together, 
And  secretly  within  the  sacred  soil 
Of  this,  God's  City,  which  he  loved  so  well 
(For  here  God  vowed  to  make  him  what  he  was) 
Laid  him  to  sleep  to  waken  but  in  Glory. 
I  know  not  this,  as  neither  know  it  ye. 
But  I  believe  it  well,  and  can  ye  doubt  it? 
God  careth  for  His  own,  and  he  is  God's. 
'Twas  John  foretold  the  coming  of  the  One 
Ye  here  debate  of  seeking  for  His  blood. 
This  is  a  Man  of  Mystery  and  Might, 
Beyond  our  comprehension,  without  doubt. 
If  it  be  true  as  to  His  rumored  speech; 
"  Ere  Abraham  was,  I  am  " —  if  this  be  so, 
He  comes  to  us  from  out  the  Ultimate  Past, 
Being  in  part  embodiment  of  God's  spirit, 
And  so  of  God  Himself,  and  so  Forever, 
Past,  Present,  and  To  Be,  and  One  with  God. 
Shall  all  the  dreadful  errors  of  the  past 
Bring  us  no  wisdom,  justice,  truth,  or  mercy, 
Or  deep  repentance  seeking  for  amends? 
[  109  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


I  do  adjure  you,  brethren,  stain  your  hands 
Not    with    the    blood    of    this    last    Greatest 

Prophet, 
The  One  who  on  my  soul  it  seems  we've  prayed 

for, 

The  Promised  One  of  God,  the  true  Messiah. 
O  brethren,  have  a  care  now  for  yourselves 
And  for  this  people,  hapless  Israel. 
Bring  not  another  judgment  on  our  heads  1 
Rouse  not  again  the  wrath  of  God  against  us 
So  if  we  live  'twill  be  even  as  Cain  lived  — 
In  fear  of  death,  and  with  God's  mark  upon  us.' 

"  These  utterances  of  our  Nicodemus, 
So  squarely  put,  so  evidently  just, 
So  in  the  light  of  law,  unanswerable, 
And  doubly  so  as  buttressed  by  the  facts, 
Borne  on  the  current  of  His  matchless  voice, 
Melting  in  pathos,  hot  with  flaming  scorn, 
Kindle  my  courage  and  renew  my  hope 
As  I  hang  on  the  outcome  of  his  lips, 
Unable  for  the  time  to  move  my  gaze; 
But  when  he  ceases,  a  swift-searching  glance, 
Sweeping    the    new-moon    curve    of    upturned 

faces, 

Leaves  my  soul  weltering  in  perplexities. 
A  few  there  are  whose  faces  show  the  light 
Of  truth  and  justice  fairly  glowing  on  them 
[110] 


BEFORE  THE  SANHEDRIN 

And  the  warm  red  of  seeming  indignation 
Flushing    in    protest    'gainst    the    wrong    at- 
tempted, 

But  some  are  stolid  with  the  gripe  of  fear, 
Mingled  with  hatred  and  cupidity, 
And  others  next  to  these  seem  to  bespeak 
An  overflow  of  more  ferocious  passion, — 
A  senseless  thirst  for  blood,  a  bitter  yearning 
Not  to  be  sated  but  by  cruel  death, — 
While  others  still  seem  centers  of  confusion 
Which  will  not  settle  until  silence  comes. 
Still  have  I  hope  of  it. 

And  now  young  Annas, 
Son  of  the  aged  Annas  who  had  spoken, 
A  chief  priest  of  some  note  and  eminence, 
Rises  in  fierce  impatience  from  his  seat 
And  straightway  thus : 

6  Our  president !     And  ye 
My  brothers,  who  are  gathered  here  to-day, 
Why  are  we  here  at  all?     This  Man  before  us 
Hath  been  adjudged  to  death  by  a  committee, 
Chosen  as  the  law  provides  by  this  Sanhedrin. 
Sanhedrin  is  convened  to  pass  upon 
What  its  committee  found:  'twas  blasphemy. 
The  punishment  affixed  to  it  is  death. 
The  evidence,  that  of  the  Prisoner's  self, 
Was  held  by  it  sufficient  and  conclusive ; 
The  evidence  before  us  is  the  same  — 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


The  declaration  of  the  Prisoner's  Self 
That  He  is  Son  of  the  Almighty  God. 
Will  ye  affirm,  or  not? 

If  this  may  be  — 

That  man  may  call  himself  the  Deity, 
Or  yet  God's  Son,  which  scarcely  is  the  less, 
And  boast  our  Temple  as  his  Father's  House 
And  we  have  not  wherewith  to  punish  him, — 
Then  might  we  well  God's  service  store  away, 
Destroy  the  Corban,  hide  the  sacred  vessels, 
The  lamps  and  fountains  and  the  golden  gifts, 
And  rent  the  Holy  Temple  for  a  khan, 
Shelter  for  Gentiles  and  Idolaters, 
And  thus  profane  forever  and  for  aye 
God's  Name  and  House,  and  all  that  both  abide 

for. 

Why  do  they  talk  of  law  and  precedent, 
Of  midnight  doings,  and  unusual  hours? 

" '  Should   we   stand   still   and   perish  ?     When 

Pharaoh 

O'ertook  our  fathers  on  the  Red  Sea  strand, 
Had  Moses  time  to  build  a  fleet  of  ships 
To  row  them  safely  to  the  further  shore, 
All  dry  and  orderly  beyond  the  reach 
Of  those  Egyptian  charioteers  and  horsemen? 
No !  and  because  Moses  could  not  save  them, 
God  Himself  saved  them.     We  save  ourselves, 


BEFORE  THE  SANHEDRIN 

But  by  the  means  which  God  hath  given  us 

To  meet  a  deadly  peril  as  we  may, 

For  our  own  preservation  and  His  Glory. 

Have  we  not  heard  enough  of  argument? 

And  what  purporteth  it?     And  what  avails 

To  listen  to  a  role  of  platitudes  — 

Fit  in  their  place,  applied  unto  conditions 

Such  as  may  rise  in  ordinary  routine? 

These  have  no  standing  here.     Away  with  them ! 

And  let  us  meet  the  issue  now  at  hand 

As  't  should  be  met,  in  an  heroic  spirit, 

Taking  the  chance,  biding  the  consequence, 

Daring  to  save  ourselves  and  institutions 

From  threatened  overthrow.     I  move  a  vote 

At  once  and  for  affirmance.' 

"  List'ning  to  this 
Fierce     cloud-burst     torrent     of     unreasoning 

speech, 

Builded  on  fear  and  brazen  selfishness, 
With  hollow  pretense  still  of  loyalty 
To  God  and  His  great  stately  House,  the 

Temple, 

That  these  hot  sectaries  might,  searching,  find 
Something  to  cling  to  in  their  self-deception, 
I  am  appalled  at  its  affrontery 
And  seeming  carelessness  of  consequence, 
Plainly  ignoring  every  claim  of  right, 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


Of  justice,  and  of  deathless  verity. 
And  when  the  speaker  calls  for  instant  action 
My  soul  grows  deathly  sick  with  apprehension, 
For  he  has  talked  to  those  who  wish  t'  affirm 
And  only  seek  excuse  for  such  affirmance. 
But  ere  'tis  seconded,  upon  his  feet 
Is  Arimathean  Joseph,  claiming  then 
His  privilege  as  member  of  the  Council, 
And  he  proceedeth  thus: 

4  Our  president, 

My  brethren  of  this  we  call  Sanhedrin ! 
What  is  this  Body  that  's  assembled  here? 
Ere  this  I  had  been  taught,  and  we  all  claimed 
That  this   High  Jewish   Court  was   Court   of 

Justice. 

I  would  persuade  you  that  it  is  so  still. 
But  now  'tis  argued  here  by  those  of  power 
And  learning,  having  here  authority, 
That,  as  applied  unto  the  instant  cause, 
This  is  no  court  at  all,  but  an  assemblage 
Of  trembling  cowards,  void  of  sense  or  reason, 
And  held  together  with  a  bond  of  fear. 
Now  then  this  fear  is  groundless  or  'tis  just. 
If  it  be  groundless,  then  we  make  ourselves 
And  this  High  Court  which  we  do  represent 
A  laughing-stock,  a  thing  to  mock  and  scoff  at, 
Trailing  our  dignity  through  nameless  mire 
Of  idle  foolishness,  to  public  scorn 


BEFORE  THE  SANHEDRIN 

Which  needs  must  follow  when  the  storm  abates, 
Of  mad  distemper  which  hath  brought  it  on; 
If  it  be  just,  then  must  it  be  because 
The  things  which  it  is  built  upon  are  just 
And  founded  on  the  will  of  the  Almighty, 
'Gainst  which  the  gates  of  hell  may  not  pre- 
vail. 

So  in  the  end  your  labor  still  is  folly, — 
Nay,  worse  than  folly,  'tis  presumptuous. 

"  *  'Tis  said  this  Prisoner  hath  caused  this  fear, 

And  also  that  He  is  a  blasphemer 

And  doth  deceive  the  people  to  their  harm. 

Yet  do  the  people  not  complain,  but  we, 

The  people  have  accused  him  not,  but  we, 

And  yet  ye  say  He's  poor,  and  ignorant, 

Of  little  consequence,  and  an  impostor. 

If  so,  why  do  ye  fear  Him?  and  if  so, 

Why  do  ye  hate  Him  with  such  bitterness 

As  doth  flame  through  the  words  which  we  have 

heard? 

And  if  it  be  not  so,  why  then,  what  then? 
In  either  case  it  is  admitted  here 
There  is  no  warrant  for  what  ye  would  do 
In  law  or  precedent,  under  the  proof, 
Even  now  when  your  whole  claim  is  narrowed 

down 

To  the  extorted  charge  of  blasphemy, 
[115] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


Built  on  confession  which  the  Court  drew  forth, 
Shewing  the  fact  of  more  than  innocence, — 
Fact  not  confuted,  aye  and  probable, 
From  things  outside  this  Prisoner's  utterances, 
Which  ye  are  'ware  of  in  your  inmost  hearts ; 
And  yet  some  say  that  we  still  should  affirm 
A  judgment  giving  this  Man  unto  death. 

"  *  And  now  I  ask  again  of  all  of  you, 
What  is  this  Body  that's  assembed  here? 
Do  we  abandon  here  all  reverence  for, 
And  all  traditions  of,  an  honored  past 
This  Court  hath  borne  down  through  the  cen- 
turies ? 

And  overturn  in  one  tumultuous  ruin 
A  reputation  built  upon  the  ages, 
A  Court  first  fixed  by  King  Jehoshaphat 
On  plan  laid  down  by  Moses  long  before, 
And  founded  in  the  justice  of  our  fathers 
Time  out  of  mind?     Great  God!  can  this  thing 

be? 

We  have  it  laid  down  squarely  in  the  Torah, 
As  'tis  construed  in  the  unwritten  Mishna 
Grav'n  on  the  memories  of  all  of  us, 
We  must  presume  a  prisoner  innocent 
Until  his  guilt  is  fairly  proved  before  iis. 
Then  shall  we  blindly  abrogate  the  Law? 
Barter  calm  Justice  for  Expedience 
[116  ] 


BEFORE  THE  SANHEDRIN 

At  Passion's  dictates  in  our  holdings  here 
And  so  do  murder  by  majority 
Under  the  name  Sanhedrin? ' 

"  While  he  paused 
As  if  awaiting  answer  unto  this, 
Livid  with  pent-up  wrath  doth  Caiaphas 
Leap  to  his  feet,  and  calling  to  the  speaker, 
Demandeth : 

*  Dost  thou  here  accuse  this  Court 
Of  being  swayed  by  passion,  bent  on  murder, 
And  cutting  loose  entirely  from  the  Law, 
To  seek  hot  satisfaction  in  its  name 
For  their  own  purposes  and  grievances 
Against  the  Prisoner,  and  without  proof? ' 
And  Joseph  thus: 

'  Nasi,  with  due  respect, 
I  made  no  accusations  whatsoever; 
We  have  not  done  the  ghastly  thing  as  yet. 
I  do  but  question,  "  Shall  we  stoop  to  it?  " 
In  doing  this  do  I  surpass  my  rights  ?  ' 
Then  Caiaphas: 

6  Thou  surely  hast  no  right 
To  doubt  the  motives  of  this  august  Court, 
Assail  the  honesty,  impugn  the  justice, 
Or  cast  aspersions  intimating  bias 
Before  the  door  of  any  member  of  it.' 
To  which  the  Arimathean: 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


4  This  were  true 

Had  there  no  member  of  the  Court  announced 
This  as  a  cause  beyond  the  pale  of  law, 
The  Prisoner  outside  the  bounds  of  justice, 
The  rule  of  judgment,  but  the  heart's  desire 
Of  any  member  here  of  the  Sanhedrin 
Who  feels  himself  belittled  or  aggrieved  — 
Hurt  in  his  purse  or  his  prerogatives, 
In  fact  or  feared  —  for  possibility. 
Was  e'er  the  like  of  this  heard  of  before  ? ' 
Then  Caiaphas,  interrupting,  stamps  his  foot, 
Announcing  fiercely: 

'  We'll  no  more  of  this ! 

Assume  thy  seat !     We  do  but  waste  our  time ! ' 
And  then  addressing  the  assembled  Court: 
*  Brethren,  the  Prisoner  is  here  before  you ; 
His  accusation  come  from  His  own  mouth; 
Ye  know  the  Man,  the  facts,  the  circumstances. 
Proceed  now  to  the  ballot  that  was  moved. 
Ye  know  your  duty.' 

"The  Arimathean 

Had  made  so  simply  plain,  so  evident, 
The  rank  injustice  urged  against  the  Master, 
That  hope  revived  in  me  the  certain  thought 
That  no  man  with  a  heart  within  his  bosom 
Could    now,    for    blushing    shame,    pronounce 
against  Him. 

[  "8  I 


BEFORE  THE  SANHEDRIN 

But  when  fierce  Caiaphas  flatly  interposing 
With  evident  intent  to  crush  the  speaker 
And  so  make  known  to  all  his  own  fixed  bias, 
Ordered  the  man  of  truth  to  take  his  seat, 
'Tis  doubly  plain  that  he  makes  common  cause 
With  Annas  and  his  son,  and  holds  their  views 
To  be  the  true  reflection  of  his  own  — 
The  pact  of  hatred,  self,  expedience. 
Then  as  I  see  the  faces  hardening, 
Grow  tense  within  the  semicircle  here, 
I  feel  that  all  is  lost,  is  lost,  LOST,  LOST ! 
And  now  the  vote  is  called  and  is  recorded, 
And  but  three  only  in  the  Master's  favor, 
The  same  who  had  thus  spoken  for  Him  there, 
While  all  the  others  voted  to  affirm. 
And  so  again  the  judgment:     'He  is   guilty* 
Worthy  of  Death,  and  ordered  before  Pilate, 
That  he  may  execute  the  penalty 
On  the  affirmed  decree  of  blasphemy  ' 
Is  written  and  announced. 

"  Then  a  wild  clamor 
Demoniacal  in  its  ferocity 
Breaks  in  the  hall  from  the  assembled  throng, 
Some  maddened  wretch,  forsooth,  an  officer, 
Throws  a  strong  cord  about  the  Master's  neck, 
And  with  a  deputy  on  either  side 
Starts  from  the  hall  to  lead  the  Master  off 
[  119] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


To  Pilate  for  His  sentence  to  the  Cross, 
And  'mid  fierce  shouts  and  fearful  execrations, 
Drags  Him  away." 

Now  ere  the  hall  is  cleared, 
And  the  Sanhedrists  still  are  in  their  seats, 
Gamaliel  and  Joseph  gain  their  feet 
To  ask  some  entry  or  to  make  a  protest, 
When  Judas,  shouting  in  his  agony, 
Calls  to  them  all,  the  One-and-Seventy : 
"  I  must  be  heard,  and  will  be,  though  ye  slay 

me! 

I  have  betrayed  innocent  blood — -  betrayed 
Whom  I  did  know  was  sinless  as  the  angels ! " 
Then  one  as  spokesman:     "What  is  that  to  us? 
See  thou  to  that !  "  and  Judas,  shrieking  out : 
"  What  is  't  to  ye  ?     Doth  it  concern  ye  not 
When  every  doubt  is  moved,  that  ye  will  murder, 
Insisting  on  it  as  a  privilege? 
Despite  the  proof,  despite  the  law,  the  fact, 
Nay,  the  clear  knowledge,  that  ye  lust  for  blood 
Of  Him  your  victim  as  some  thirst  for  wine, 
And  now  scarce  seek  a  mean  excuse  for  it? 
Here  is  your  cursed  bribe,  your  petty  fee, 
For  shewing  where  ye  might  lay  hands  on  Him. 
And  I  did  do  as  I  had  pledged  to  do, 
But  did  ye  not  then  say  He  should  be  tried 
[120] 


BEFORE  THE  SANHEDRIN 

As  doth  the  law  provide,  on  charges  made, 

The  which  would  be  made  good  by  witnesses? 

I  had  no  fear,  e'en  should  it  go  so  far, 

For  well  I  knew  that  He  was  innocent. 

Ye  had  no  faith,  your  motive  was  revenge, 

Your  whole  proceedings  here  were  mockeries. 

So  ye  will  apprehend  and  punish  me 

If  I  remain  not  silent?     Do  it!     Do  it! 

Publish  your  perfidy  to  the  whole  world  — 

Jew,  Gentile,  Pagan,  and  Idolater  — 

Make  of  yourselves  a  loathing  and  a  show  — 

A  stench  unto  the  nostrils  of  mankind. 

Here  are  your  thirty  pieces !     Thought  ye  then 

To  make  me  an  assassin  for  this  hire, 

The  fixed  value  of  a  common  slave? 

Had  I  been  lusting  for  unholy  gain, 

And  that  alone,  then  had  I  gauged  the  price 

In  some  proportion  to  your  hellish  hatreds  — 

A  sum  the  ransom  of  a  Royal  Prince, 

And  not  this  paltry  pittance  which  ye  weighed 

Out  of  your  sacred  treasury  to  me. 

This  I  accepted  in  my  foolishness 

Lest  ye  should  fear  the  traitor  but  a  spy, 

And  I  delay  His  triumph  at  your  cost. 

Take   it,    aye   take   it!     Still    'tis    yours,    'tis 

yours! 
Murder  was  far  from  me  when  I  received  it." 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


Thus  having  said,  with  a  wide-swinging  hand 
He  sowed  the  coins  like  seeds  betwixt  his  fingers, 
Jingling  like  laughing  imps,  before  their  feet 
On  the  half-circled  floor  of  patterned  marble. 
One  cried  out,  "  Touch  it  not !     It  is  accurst. 
We  cannot  to  the  Treasury  return  it, 
The  Law  forbids,  and  conscience  doth  revolt. 
For  it  is  price  of  blood !  "     Then  Judas  thus : 
"  It  is  not  so  unless  ye  make  it  such ! 
The  Master  liveth  still!     His  weary  feet 
Press    the    white    steps    descending    from    this 

Temple, 

Or  move  toward  death  at  the  Praetorium. 
Even  at  this  moment,  going  at  your  will, 
A  rope  about  His  neck,  led  like  a  felon, 
Your  hatred's  sacrifice,  to  Rome's  crossed  tree. 
Ye  bide  here  still!     Reverse  your  red  decree 
While  yet  ye  may,  and  ere  it  be  too  late! 
Revoke  it,  or  your  memory  and  names 
Shall  be  a  hissing  on  the  tongues  of  men 
For  ages  heaped  on  ages  yet  to  be, 
Even  when  my  black  treason  shall  be  bleached 
In  part,  at  least,  by  the  white  light  of  truth. 

"  Aye,  sneer  that  I  am  mad, —  beside  myself. 
Now  ye  exult,  hoping  no  consequence 
Bides  in  the  method  of  your  foul  success, 
Or  in  the  falsehood  and  iniquity 
[  122  ] 


BEFORE  THE  SANHEDRIN 

On  which  you've  sought  to  bottom  it  withal. 
But,  lo,  the  day  will  come  to  some  of  you, 
And  will  in  gloom  arise  upon  your  children, 
And  on  your  children's  children  after  these, 
And  on  this  nation,  in  whose  frenzied  heart 
Ye  have  but  now  planted  the  seeds  of  death, 
When  in  the  dust  ye  shall,  and  long  shall  they, 
Deplore  your  persecution  and  mad  folly, 
Reap,  oft  in  justly,  sufferings  and  heartbreak, 
Dire  persecution  and  ignoble  exile, 
The  certain  harvest  of  your  own  injustice, 
Imposed  because  He  called  you  hypocrites 
And  held  in  scorn  your  man-made  mummeries  — 
Your  endless,  subtle,  cold  formalities, 
Spawned  from  your  own  false  hearts  to  hide  the 

Law 

And  make  its  sure  neglect  your  boasted  virtue, 
Your  certain  profit,  and  chief  ground  of  zeal. 
And   now,   for  that   He,  whom   ye  have  con- 
demned, 

Did  call  ye  to  repentance,  and  made  clear 
Your  plain  misdeeds  and  deep  hypocrisies, 
Ye've  sent  Him  to  the  Cross ;  the  Son  of  God  — 
Ye  gibe  that  He  dares  use  the  Name, 
Yet  Moses  and  the  prophets,  said  they  not 
That  all  His  people  surely  were  God's  children? 
Ne'er,  now,  may  Israel  claim  that  parentage 
Till  Israel  accept  whom  ye've  condemned, 
[  123  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


Bowed  in  the  dust  and  ashes  of  repentance. 
For  did  the  Master  not  call  out  to  you 
In  your  defiance  and  stiff-necked  perversion: 
*  Your  house  is  left  unto  you  desolate, 
For  now  henceforth  ye  shall  not  see  Me 
Till  ye  shall  say,  "  Blessed  is  He  that  cometh 
In  the  Lord's  name?  "  ' 

Ponder  ye  this  and  weep. 
I  leave  you  in  your  mutiny  'gainst  that  God 
Whom  in  your  shallow  souls  ye  claim  to  serve. 
Remember  Judas,  whom  ye  justly  scorn, 
And  with  more  justice  learn  to   scorn  your- 
selves." 

Then  the  Sanhedrists:  "Let  the  traitor  rave! 
We  waste  our  time ! "  and  hurrying  they  j  oined 
The  raging  throng  which  hedged  about  the 

Master 

On  the  great  bridge  spanning  Tyropean, 
And  in  abasement  added  clearer  tones 
To  the  deriding  that  was  crushing  there, 
With  sorrow  and  spurned  love,  Christ's  patient 

spirit, 
While     Judas,     calling     wildly     out,     "  Lost  I 

lost! 

'Tls  not  to  be!  'twill  never,  never  be!'9 
Rushed  through  the  maddened  throng  and  dis- 
appeared. 

[  124  ] 


BEFORE  THE  SANHEDRIN 


Into  a  somber,  desolated  tract, 
Burnt  with  a  drouth  that  never  was  appeased, 
Without  the  city  gates,  barren  and  broken 
With  splintered  rocks  and  blasted,  dying  trees, 
A  riven  field  of  gullies  and  brown  thorns, 
The  guideless  feet  of  Judas  carried  him, 
Till,  when  the  mighty  wave  of  angry  tumult 
That  swept  him  on  had  crumbled  to  black  spray, 
And  left  him  stranded  in  the  smitten  field, 
His  passion  gone,  and  horror  and  abasement 
Stirring  the  lava  ashes  of  his  crime, 
He  found  himself  communing  with  himself : 
"  The  world  will  say  I  did  it  out  of  greed ; 
None  in  the  world  will  contradict  the  world. 
What  though  the  world  well  knows  that  of  the 

Twelve 

I  was  picked  out  to  bear  the  common  purse, 
Their  trust  and  knowledge  of  my  faithfulness 
My  only  bond, —  a  trust  not  once  betrayed. 
Others  will  claim  He  knew  me  from  the  first 
To  be  a  man  of  evil  in  all  things. 
What  though  'tis  true  that  I  was  of  the  Twelve 
The  Master  chose  to  go  forth  in  His  stead, 
Preaching  His  Word,  and  healing  in  His  Name, 
As  I  was  pleased  to  do  ?     'Twill  be  forgotten, 
And  they  will   say   and  preach,   He   did   con- 
demn me, 

[  125  1 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


Knowing  He  washed  my  feet  on  that  last  night 
(And  can  it  be  it  was  the  night  just  passed, 
The  last  that  is  to  come  for  me,  for  Him?), 
With  His  dear  hands,  while  caught  about  His 

loins 

He  bore  a  towel  looped  to  dry  them  with; 
Mine,  yea,  and  every  other's  of  the  Twelve, 
To  give  a  lesson  in  Humility 
To  each  of  us,  and  quench  our  love  of  self, 
And  curb  the  crude  ambition  of  our  hearts, — 
Self -seeking  all,  to  His  own  deadly  peril, 
Knowing  as  He  well  knew  I  should  betray  Him, 
Peter  deny  Him  with  unseemly  oaths, 
And  the  rest  flee  from  Him  in  abject  terror 
By  reason  of  the  perils  I  should  bring. 
Will  He  forgive  them,  all  save  only  me  ? 
Even  when  the  armed  legionaries  stood 
Grouping  anear  Him,  and  my  treason's  kiss 
Lodged  on  His  sensitive  cheek,  He  called  me 

friend. 

He  doth  not  lie !     He  will  remember  me 
In  friendly  spirit,  as  He  called  me  friend. 
Yea,  I  forget  it  not,  speaking  of  me, 
Yet  speaking  to  me  unmistakably 
His  words  rebuked,  His  eyes  compassionated: 
'  Woe  to  that  man  by  whom  I  am  betrayed. 
Good  were  't  for  him  that  he  had  not  been  born.' 

[  126  ] 


BEFORE  THE  SANHEDRIN 


"  And  surely  this  is  true  unto  the  world. 
For  what  is  my  place  now  in  all  the  world, 
To  which  my  name  hath  come  or  ever  shall  ? 

*  Judas  the  traitor ! '  *  Judas  the  false  friend,' 
'  Judas  the  trafficker  in  innocent  blood, 

And  that  the  blood  of  his  own  Lord  and  Master,' 

*  Judas,  the  one  sum  total  of  all  evils, 
Living,  embodied  into  human  form,' 

*  Judas  a  ghastly  gibbet  made  of  bones 
Crowned  with  a  grinning  skull,  a  thing  to  hang 
The  legendary  garbage  of  all  vice, 

And  all  the  meanness  of  the  world  upon, 
That  men  can  think,  imagine,  dream  about.' 
The  name  repeats  itself,  with  emphasis ; 
'Tis  Judas,  Judas,  JUDAS,  through  all  time 
A  name  that  generations  will  abhor 
Because  'twill  be  the  fashion  to  abhor, 
And  the  unthinking  still  assume  much  merit 
By  branding  me  an  enemy  of  Christ; 
A  name  none  will  apply  to  living  thing 
Except  in  detestation  of  that  thing, 
Or  infamous  comparison  with  me. 
Oh,  it  is  horrible,  too  dread  to  bear ! 
But  He  will  lift  my  load,  will  pardon  me. 
The  world  will  execrate,  but  He'll  forgive. 
"  To-day  He  too  will  die.     I  shall  be  spared 
This  much  at  least,  I  shall  not  see  Him  die. 
[  127  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


But  His  slow  expiration  on  the  Cross 

Shall    make    that    Pagan    Curse    a    Christian 

Symbol, 

The  Sign  Triumphant  of  His  life  on  Earth, 
The  Scepter  of  His  Kingdom  Spiritual, 
For  a  high  place  in  which  upon  the  earth, 
Wishing  but  good  to  Him,  Ambition's  snare 
Did  catch  me  firmly  in  its  awful  toils. 
And  this  blight-smitten  tree  (forever  more 
It  and  its  kind  shall  be  the  Judas  tree, 
Till  God's  own  lightnings  in  the  hands  of  man 
Shall  in  swift  mercy  quiet  such  as  I, 
Only,  adjudged  by  others  than  themselves) 
Shall  bear  the  first-fruits  of  this  tragedy. 
This  bit  from  off  the  cord  they  led  Him  with 
Unto  the  Pagan  Pilate  and  to  death 
Shall  be  the  stem  to  fix  me  to  its  branch, 
And  my  hope's  cable  (As  He  is  its  Anchor), 
But  to  be  loosed  by  Death's  releasing  autumn, 
And  what  was  Judas  rests  on  earth  again. 
Master,  forgive !    Farewell !    Hope  lives !    Thou 

knowest!" 


[  128] 


STAGE  IV 
BEFORE  PILATE 

UNDER  Tiberius,  haughty,  tyrannical, 
Stern  in  his  ease  and  cruel  in  his  leisure, 
But  not  without  the  sense  of  common  justice 
When  not  conflicting  with  self-interest, 
Was  Pilate,  governor  of  all  Judea, 
And  next  to  him  under  the  Roman  power 
Was  Herod  Antipas,  then  for  some  time 
Tetrarch  of  Galilee,  murd'rer  of  John, 
The  Desert  Prophet,  and  the  Christ's  forerunner. 

Scarcely  had  Pilate  taken  up  his  office 

When  from  his  palace  at  Caesarea, 

The  legionaries,  part  of  his  armed  force, 

At  night,  up-marching  to  the  Holy  City, 

Bore  with  them  on  long  staffs  their  legion's 

emblems  — • 

The  silver  eagles  of  the  mighty  empire. 
The  Jews  were  furious  at  the  Procurator, 
Deeming  these  eagles  at  Jerusalem 
No  better  than  the  semblance  of  black  vultures, 
A  profanation  unto  it  and  them. 
And  so  for  days  and  nights,  near  a  full  week, 
They  sieged  his  palace  at  Caesarea, 
[  129  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


Begging    and    threatening,    moaning    and    en- 
treating, 

With  bodies  prostrate,  cast  upon  the  ground, 
For  the  removal  of  the  offending  things, 
Bird-shaped,  the  soldiers  carried  on  their  staffs ; 
And  even  threats  to  send  the  troops  amongst 

them 

To  beat  and  stab  them  drove  them  not  away. 
So  'twas  these  hot  fanatics  did  prevail 
To  have  the  eagles  taken  from  their  city. 

But  Pilate  was  incensed  in  part  against  them 
By  their  persistence  and  fierce  superstitions, 
Yet  saw  there  too-dread  possibilities 
For  future  trouble.     Then  again  soon  after, 
Noting  the  dust  that  smote  the  populace, 
And  thinking  to  do  a  good  and  useful  thing, 
He  built  an  aqueduct,  bringing  direct 
Water  from  distant  Pools  of  Solomon 
Into  the  thirsty  streets  and  dried-up  fountains 
Of  this  same  Holy  City.     Thoughtlessly 
(Some  say  in  malice)  to  meet  overcost, 
He  seized  on  funds  then  lying  in  the  Corban, 
The  Sacred-Treasure  given  to  the  Temple. 
So  was  the  Jewish  passion  flamed  to  frenzy 
At  secular  use  of  their  so  sacred  fund. 
They  heaped  resentment  fierce  on  Pontius  Pilate, 
And  he,  stung  by  their  insults  and  their  gibes, 
[  130  ] 


BEFORE  PILATE 


On  their  refusing  to  disperse  at  once, 
Disguised  his  soldiers  in  the  Jewish  garb, 
Sending  out  many  in  the  multitude, 
With  clubs  concealed  and  daggers,  in  their  robes, 
Who  fell  upon  the  rioting  devotees, 
Doing  much  murder  so,  half  secretly, 
Causing  tumultuous  terrors  and  alarms 
Wherein  were  hundreds  trampled  in  the  dust, 
And  many  dead  were  gathered  from  the  streets. 
Loud  murmurings  came  of  this,  and  bruitings 

hourly 

Of  delegations  to  Tiberius 
To  bear  complaints  against  the  governor 
To  this  imperious  Caesar  at  far  Rome. 

So  deepened  the  distrust,  so  grew  the  hatred, 
Springing    like    fungus    growth    betwixt    the 

governed 

And  their  distraught,  tormented  governor, 
When  Pilate,  thinking  to  seal  his  loyalty 
Safe  from  the  busy  tongues  of  Hate  and  Envy, 
In  the  great  palace  at  Jerusalem 
(Built  by  red-handed  Herod,  called  the  Great, 
Made  Court  by  Pilate  at  the  festivals) 
Hung  on  its  walls  some  richly  gilded  shields 
Well  dedicated  to  Tiberius 
(For  his  own  purpose  and  the  Caesar's  honor), 
Harmless  and  inoffensive  in  themselves 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


And  never  meant  to  breed  antipathies ; 
But  the  Jews  heard  of  them  and  so  were  wild 
With  kindling  rage,  and  shouted  sacrilege. 
Pilate  at  his  wit's  end  refused  to  move  them, 
Thinking  it  safer  to  defy  all  Jewry 
Than  by  a  chance  offend  the  Emperor, 
And  this  caused  loud  complaint  and  an  appeal 
Unto  Tiberius  himself  by  some  great  Jews ; 
And  as  the  rugged  Caesar  less  than  little 
Cared  for  the  puerile  fripperies  of  courts, 
He  did  reverse  shrewd  Pilate's  loyal  holding, 
Ord'ring  the  shields  back  to  Csesarea 
To  deck  the  temple  of  the  great  Augustus, 
With  reprimand  that  he  so  chanced  revolt. 

These,  and  some  further  matters  not  then  settled 

'Twixt  Galileans  and  Samaritans, 

In  which  was  Pilate  charged  with  interference, 

Not  satisfactory  to  either  side, 

Discover  some  of  the  perplexities 

Facing  the  office  of  procurator 

And  facing  the  Procurator  himself  — 

Even  Pontius  Pilate, —  who  that  morning  lay 

On  his  soft  couch,  yawning  from  sated  sleep, 

When  roused  by  spear-butt  knockings  of  the 

sentry 

Calling  the  inner  guard  to  wake  their  master. 
[  132  ] 


BEFORE  PILATE 


Now  Pilate  in  his  chamber  in  the  palace, 
Fully   awake,   heard   through  the   cross-barred 

lattice 

From  o'er  the  gullied  vale  Tyropean, 
Faintly  at  first,  but  with  increasing  sound, 
Such  passionate  cries  and  jeers,  such  mocking 

taunts, 

Such  fierce,  incongruous  tumult  of  mad  voices 
As  sent  a  shudder  through  his  Roman  nerves 
Beyond  past  tremors  of  experience. 
And  when  informed  he  was  to  sit  in  judgment 
On  one  condemned  before  the  Court  Sanhedrin, 
He  was  annoyed,  but  slipping  on  his  robes 
And  hastening  to  the  Prsetorium — 
The  judgment  hall  of  the  Herodian  palace  — 
Found  standing  there  the  Christ,  some  officers, 
And  certain  number  of  his  low  accusers, 
But. the  great  notables,  the  Sanhedrists, 
Shouting  vociferously,  would  yet  not  enter 
The  Gentile  Hall  lest  they  might  be  defiled 
At  the  approaching  of  the  Passover, 
And  so  be  thus  unfitted  to  partake. 
For  them  reluctantly  did  Pilate  yield 
His  dignity  to  their  keen  prejudice, 
And  stepping  to  the  fore  went  down  to  them 
Into  the  open  sunlight  of  the  street. 
And  now  let  Nicodemus  state  what  passed, 
[  183] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


For  he  was  silent  grown,  and  sorrowful, 

(His    few    attempted    words    drowned    in    the 

clamor) 
Silent  but  vigilant  and  all  observant. 

"  Coming  from  where  the  Master  waited  him, 

And  having  spoken  a  few  words  with  Him, 

Pilate  demanded  of  the  Sanhedrists : 

'  What  accusation  bring  ye  'gainst  this  Man?  * 

This  was  a  Scythian  arrow  to  the  mark, 

And  angry  pallor  spread  o'er  many  faces 

At  this  suggestion  of  an  inquiry 

When  they  were  but  expecting  execution 

Of  their  own  baseless,  murderous  decree. 

'  Think'st  thou  if  He  were  not  a  malefactor 

We  had  delivered  up  this  Man  to  thee? ' 

They  said  evasively,  and  Pilate  thus: 

'  Would  ye  have  me  to  give  this  Man  to  death 

Upon  no  charge  to  make  an  inquiry, — 

Without  inquiry  to  sustain  a  charge 

Known  only  to  yourselves?     Am  I  a  butcher? 

Take  ye  this  Man  and  j  udge  Him  by  your  law ! ' 

Then  Caiaphas: 

*  This  Man  hath  been  adjudged 
Worthy  of  death  by  our  Sanhedrin  here, 
Having  authority,  but  Rome  ordains 
That  the  death  fine  shall  not  be  visited 
Save  by  the  mandate  of  her  governor, 
[  134  ] 


BEFORE  PILATE 


Hence  this  appeal  to  thee,  Most  Excellent, 
That  this  Man  may  be  forfeit  to  the  Cross, 
Which  is  His  sentence.' 

Then  spake  Pilate  thusi 

'If  so,  I  must  repeat:     Upon  what  charge?' 
Then  Caiaphas,  recalling  what  Gamaliel 
Had  spoken  to  them  when  they  sate  in  Council, 
And  the  result  of  giving  in  the  record 
Entered  for  Blasphemy,  touched  not  on  that, 
But  led  a  storm  of  furious  invective, 
Joined  in  by  notables  and  surging  mob, 
Charging  that  Jesus  did  pervert  the  nation, 
Advised  against  just  tribute  unto  Caesar, 
And  did  Himself  assume  to  be  a  king. 
Then  the  mad  throng  brake  in  vociferously 
With  shouts  of  'Crucify  Him!     Crucify!' 
Repeated  oft  with  wild  ferocity 
Until  the  walled-in  streets  did  echo  it. 

"  To   this,   when   the   wild   storm    of   shouting 

ceased 

In  measure,  Pilate,  flushing,  said,  annoyed, 
*  Ye  make  a  triple  charge.     It  seemeth  strange 
That  I  have  heard  not  of  this  man's  perversions, 
Or  known  complaints,  or  falling  off  of  tribute 
Due  unto  Caesar,  laid  at  this  Man's  door 
(Though  ye  do  say  He  doth  mislead  the  people), 
Until  this  moment.     Let  this  matter  pass. 
[  135  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


Doth  any  come  to  prove  His  claim  of  Kingship? 
I  hear  none  answer.     I  will  question  Him.' 

"  Withdrawing    from    before    these    passionate 

judges 

And  the  vociferous  rabble  on  the  pave, 
Pilate  once  more  enters  his  Judgment  Hall, 
And  noting  the  pale  Prisoner  standing  there, 
Patient  and  uncomplaining,  bearing  still 
The  awful  tire  of  these  long  restless  hours, 
His  heart  was  touched  for  Him  who  suffered  so, 
And  so  he  asked  Him  thus,  half  pityingly: 
'Art  Thou  King  of  the  Jews?'  to  which  the 

Christ: 

*  Say'st  thou  this  of  thyself,  or  did  there  others 
Tellittheeof  Me?' 

To  which  Pilate,  hotly: 

'  Am  I  a  Jew,  a  Jew?     'Twas  Thy  own  nation 
And  the  chief  priests  delivered  Thee  to  me ! 
What  hast  thou  done  ?  9     To  which  the  Savior : 
'  Know  that  My  Kingdom  is  not  of  this  world ! 
If  so  it  were,  then  would  My  servants  fight 
That  I  should  not  be  handed  to  the  Jews ; 
But  surely  is  My  Kingdom  not  from  hence.' 
Then  Pilate  questioned: 

'Art  Thou  then  a  King?  ' 
And  Jesus  answering: 

*  Thou  sayest :     I  am  a  King. 
[  136  ] 


BEFORE  PILATE 


To  this  end  was  I  born ;  and  for  this  cause 
Came  I  into  the  world,  that  I  should  bear 
Witness  unto  the  truth,  and  everyone 
That  's  of  the  truth  heareth  My  voice.' 

And  Pilate, 

Musing  and  moved,  said  (wondering)  unto  Him, 
'  What  is  truth  ?  '  but  Jesus  answered  not, 
Assuming  there,  belike,  that  all  men  know 
The  pith  and  purport  of  veracity 
Within  its  simpler  sense,  but  of  its  higher 
Much  speech  might  be  required  to  make  it  clear, 
And  speech  He  knew  would  now  be  only  idle, 
And  He  was  wearied  'most  beyond  endurance; 
And  Pilate  mused  and  pondered,  then  arose 
And  stepping  down  again,  announced  to  them, 
His  fierce  accusers,  on  the  open  pave, 
*  I  find  in  Him  no  fault,  no  fault  at  all ! ' 

"  After  this  full  acquittal  it  is  plain 
The  prisoner  should  forthwith  have  been  set  free, 
And  doubtless  this  was  Pilate's  first  intent, 
But  scarcely  he'd  pronounced  '  I  find  no  fault,' 
Than  once  again,  a  hissing,  howling  storm 
Of  fierce  reproach  and  furious  accusation 
Breaks   from   the   vociferous   throng   in   bitter 

shouts : 

'  He  hath  stirred  up  sedition  through  all  Jewry, 
Even  from  Galilee  unto  this  place ! ' 
[  137  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


And  much  more  clamorous  and  unbridled  speech, 
All  to  the  Master's  deep  disparagement, 
Set  forth  in  passionate  speech,  and  terrible. 

"  Now  Pilate,  wishing  to  be  just,  yet  feared ; 
The  latent  coward  in  his  cruel  nature 
And  possible  results  upon  himself 
Through  the  imperial  mandates  in  far  Rome 
Looming  in  stern  review  upon  his  acts, 
Be  what  they  might,  unmanned  his  better  self, 
And  made  him  a  poor  weakling  for  the  nonce, 
So  his  quick  wit  bade  him  extemporize, 
Seeking  in  doubtful  course  and  full  of  danger 
(Catching  a  clew  from  the  throng's  utterances) 
To  shift  unwelcome  burdens  on  another; 
So  Pilate,  fleeing  duty  out  of  fear 
And  selfishness  of  an  ignoble  nature, 
Tramped  in  the  mire  the  opportunity 
(Except  to  mark  his  lasting  execration) 
To  make  himself  the  greatest  of  Rome's  great 
In  all  her  gilded  script  of  history, 
Past,  present,  or  to-be ;  did  only  that 
Which  branded  him  pre-eminently  weak, 
Pre-eminently  selfish  and  unjust, 
Great  from  his  loss  of  opportunity, 
(All  unavailed,  to  link  his  name  with  truth 
And  justice  to  the  Immaculate  Son  of  God, 
Breathing  still  in  the  flesh,  thrown  in  his  power), 
[  138  ] 


BEFORE  PILATE 


And  still  immortal  in  a  bad  degree, 
For  his  weak,  unavailing  sympathy, 
Wanting  the  saving  strength  of  manly  courage 
And  love  of  justice  for  sweet  justice's  sake. 

"  So  Pilate  thus : 

*  Where  doth  He  bide,  this  Man 
Whom  ye  accuse  so  hotly  and  so  glibly? 
Where  is  His  home?     Where  have  His  teachings 

been, 

And  His  seditions  most  made  manifest?  9 
And  most  said,  '  Galilee,'  but  some  said,  *  Here, 
Here  in  the  city  of  Jerusalem.' 
So  that  it  doth  appear  there  is  some  question, 
And  himself  wishing  to  drop  all  further  action, 
Yet  not  too  much  offend  these  hot  fanatics 
Who  diligently  sought  the  Christ's  destruction, 
Proceeded  thus : 

*  It  doth  appear  to  me, 

As  voiced  by  this  assemblage  gathered  here, 
This  Prisoner's  abode  is  Galilee, 
His  home  is  there,  and  His  activities, 
Of  which  complaint  is  made,  were  mostly  there. 
Herod,  the  Tetrarch  of  all  Galilee, 
Son  of  his  famous  father,  the  Great  Herod, 
Your  one-time  King,  and  builder  of  this  palace, 
Is  here  at  present  for  the  Passover 
And  hath  taken  lodgment  in  the  Asmonaen  palace 
[  139  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


During  his  stay.     His  Tetrarchy  hath  come, 

Carrying  its  rights  of  judgment,  all  direct 

From  Caesar,  so  his  jurisdiction  quite 

Doth  cover  the  Accused  and  the  offenses 

Of  which  ye  most  complain.     Now  take  ye  Him 

Straightway  to  Herod  and  let  him  adjudge.' 

"  So  then  the  acquitted  Christ,  but  not  unbound, 
Was  dragged  and  urged  through  the  now  swel- 
tering streets, 
Through  morning's  blaze  of  sun  and  thirst  of 

sky, 

Unto  the  court  of  Herod  Antipas, 
Many  of  His  accusers,  small  and  great, 
Following  like  hungry  hounds  to  bay  Him  down 
With  the  wild  howls  of  their  untired  deriding. 
Yet  He  spake  not,  but  step  by  step  bore  up 
The  heavy  burden  of  His  mortal  frame, 
Staggering  along  in  wearied  consciousness, 
His  lips  amove  at  times  as  though  in  prayer 
For  strength,  and  for  His  ruthless  enemies." 


[  140  ] 


STAGE  V 
BEFORE  HEROD 

NOW   Herod   long   had   wished   to   see   the 
Christ, 

For  he  had  heard  of  Him  and  His  great  teach- 
ings, 

His  miracles  and  wondrous  healing  power, 
And  heard  Him  mentioned  by  his  victim,  John, 
(Whom  not  himself  would  willingly  have  slain, 
But  aping  manners  of  a  boastful  despot 
Had  pledged  himself  to  murder  in  advance, 
Unconsciously  still  in  the  naked  letter, 
As  fenced  about  by  its  including  terms, 
And  held  to  it  at  instance  of  a  woman 
More  guilty  and  as  soulless  as  himself), 
And  so  felt  flattered  by  this  act  of  Pilate 
Touching  the  jurisdiction  of  himself 
To  try  the  Master  on  these  rambling  charges 
Which  the  mad  throng  brought,  shouting,  to 

his  ears, 
And    his     heart    warmed    to    Pilate    for    the 

friendship 

Which  he  saw  hidden,  as  he  did  believe, 
In  Pilate's  act  so  barren  of  assumption 
And  full  of  courtesy  unto  himself ; 
That  so  he  felt  to  waive  his  jurisdiction. 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


If  such  he  had,  would  be  a  compliment 
To  the  Procurator,  now  called  his  friend. 
And  then  he  thought  he  saw,  as  had  seen  Pilate, 
The   groundlessness   of  their  preferred  indict- 
ments 

(And  this  before  he'd  questioned  Christ  at  all), 
Builded  on  wrath  and  urged  in  sleepless  hatred, 
And  having  no  after  qualms  as  Pilate  had 
Of  any  secondary  consequence, 
Felt  him  disposed  to  look  at  the  affair 
As  a  wild  outbreak  of  the  passionate  Jews, 
A  Temple-madness,  broken  into  fury 
On  the  occasion  of  the  Passover, 
Which  would  consume  itself  of  its  own  heat, 
And  so  an  end  of  it ;  but  he'd  question  Him 
Ere  he  decided  fully. 

Before  this  man, 

Weaker  than  Pilate  and  less  scrupulous, 
Did  the  Sanhedrists  and  their  followers 
Again  arraign  the  Master  and  accuse  Him 
Of  many  things,  which  they  hoped  might  involve 

Him, 

There  in  the  Hall  of  the  Asmonsen  palace, 
And  shouted  out,  "  He  makes  Himself  a  King 
And  doth  mislead  the  people  to  their  hurt." 
So  Herod  sate  in  judgment  on  the  Christ, 
Ensanguined  Guilt  on  Sacred  Innocence, 
[  142  ] 


BEFORE  HEROD 


Darkness  on  Light,  Falsehood  on  Living  Truth, 
And  mortal  man  on  Immortality. 

Now  as  He  stood  there,  bowed  and  mute  before 

him, 

Herod  did  ask  the  Christ  of  many  things, — 
Of  His  beliefs,  His  doctrines,  His  disciples, 
His  works  of  wonder  and  benevolence, 
His  boundless  love,  and  mastery  of  Death, 
Of  His  commingling  of  the  sunset  dyes 
And  the  rich  flavor  of  the  blood  of  grapes 
And  the  strange  alchemy  of  God's  sweet  air 
With  water  prisoned  in  rude  earthen  jars, 
And  at  His  wish  and  will  transmuting  all, 
The  water,  only,  being  visibly  present, 
Into  the  wedding  wine,  and  all  for  Love. 
And  then  as  if  Christ  were  a  mountebank 
Did  Herod  intimate  a  strong  desire 
To  see  some  miracle  with  his  own  eyes, 
As  if  his  wish  were  of  first  consequence, 
And  so  his  puppet  power  and  petty  place 
Were  wage  and  motive  for  the  Son  of  God. 
But  through  it  all  the  Master  paid  no  heed, 
Nor  spake  a  single  word  in  recognition. 
So  Herod  was  enraged,  yet  could  not  find 
Matter  to  base  one  charge  preferred  upon, 
And  so  discovered,  as  had  also  Pilate, 
That  'twas  but  envy  of  the  Sanhedrists 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


That  fed  the  flame  for  Christ's  fierce  persecution, 

And  he  acquitted  Him  yet  not  discharged  Him, 

Even  as  the  shifty  Pilate  so  had  done ; 

But  thinking  to  abase  Him  in  the  eyes 

Of  his  own  courtiers  and  rude  soldiery, 

And  mollify  the  passion  of  the  Jews, 

And  feed  his  anger  at  the  Christ's  contempt, 

Ordered  his  troops  to  make  a  show  of  Him. 

Then  Herod  and  his  men  of  war  at  naught 
Did  set  the  Master,  and  made  sport  of  Him, 
Tauntingly  mocked  Him,  and  in  gorgeous  robes 
Clothed   Him,    and   from   a   near-by    greening 

hedge 

Plaited  a  wreath  of  spiny  pointed  thorns 
And  placed  it  on  His  head  for  a  mock  crown, 
Shouting  derisively  in  loud  acclaim 
The  coronation  fact  of  the  new  King 
As  they  moved  slowly  through  the  sweltering 

streets, 

Back  unto  Pilate,  with  mock  exaltation, 
Crying,  "  Behold  the  triumph  of  the  Christ, 
The  Temple  Builder  of  Jerusalem, 
The  dreaming  King  of  the  benighted  Jews, 
Who  with  His  mighty  host  of  crippled  beggars, 
Captained  by  fishermen  from  Galilee, 
Marched   with   their   crutches   needed   but    for 

arms, — 

[  144  ] 


BEFORE  HEROD 


Marched  on  in  confidence  to  take  the  town, — 
Led  by  this  Monarch  mounted  on  an  ass, 
To  batter  down  the  mighty  walls  of  Zion, 
Beguile  the  people,  terrify  the  priesthood, 
And  overturn  all  system  and  all  rule 
'Stablished  by  Moses  from  the  early  days. 
Hear  Him  and  bow  before  Him  while  ye  may ! " 
With  other  wordy  form  of  mockery, 
And  these  all  followed  by  derisive  shouts 
And  laughter  that  might  shame  the  Evil  One, 
As  they  move  back  to  Pilate  and  his  court. 

If  these  deridings  pleased  the  Herod  escort 
And  made  a  pageant  for  the  shallow  few 
Who  took  no  active  part  on  either  side, 
They    surely    not   appeased   these   fierce    San- 

hedrists 

Who  saw  in  them  some  slur  upon  themselves, — 
A  making  light  of  their  own  urgent  qualms, — 
The  Tetrarch's  labeled  sneer  at  their  concern 
About  the  doings  of  a  rural  dreamer 
Unseasoned  of  the  world,  and  ignorant 
Of  the  wise  learning  gotten  at  the  schools, 
And  the  complexion  of  the  ways  of  life, 
(A  coming  back  of  what  themselves  had  urged), 
Of    whom    themselves    quaked    in    vast    appre- 
hension, 

Like  children  walking  in  a  twilight  wood. 
[  145   ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


So  their  resentment  now,  partly  inspired 
By  the  position  thus  assumed  by  Herod, 
Brake  out  in  many  and  incongruous  shouts, 
Mingling  with  the  Herodian  ribaldry 
And  thoughtless  jest  and  boorish  pleasantry 
Their  cries  of  "Crucify  Him!     Crucify!" 
For  well  they  knew  Him  wisest  of  the  wise, 
Had  seen  His  power,  and  at  His  command 
Of  matchless  logic  turned  against  themselves 
Silenced  and  angered  oft  had  slunk  away. 
But  now,  as  once  before,  the  Bounden  One 
Amid  the  noisy  throng,  reached  the  paved  court 
Fronting  the  hall  of  the  Prsetorium, 
And  'bove  the  sounds  of  mirth  and  mockery 
Came  the  persistent  horror,  "  Crucify ! " 


[146] 


STAGE  VI 
AGAIN  BEFORE  PILATE 

NOW   was   the   Son    of   Man,   the    Greatest 
Prophet, 

The  Savior  of  the  World,  the  True  Messiah, 
Once  more  arraigned  before  the  Roman  judge, 
The  weak,  corrupt  dispenser  of  Rome's  justice? 
Nay,  but  still  would  have  been  but  for  his  weak- 
ness 

And  lack  of  courage  bred  of  selfishness. 
Himself  had  once  acquitted  this  same  Christ, 
Declaring  thus :     "  I  find  no  fault  in  Him." 
Himself  being  the  higher  court  so  acting, 
Had  shortly  afterwards  therein  declared, 
From  inquiries  made  and  findings  thereupon, 
That  the  true  jurisdiction  of  Christ's  cause 
Lay  with  Antipas ;  and  this  Herod  had 
Assumed  that  jurisdiction,  and  sent  back, 
After  examination  and  inquiry, 
The  Master  bearing  back  His  own  acquittal, 
Published  in  scoffs  and  puerile  mockeries. 
Yet  now  the  Acquitted  One  is  here  again, 
So  Pilate's  plain  and  simple  duty  was 
Then  and  at  once  to  set  the  Prisoner  free. 
But  Pilate  feared  when  these  wild  passionate 
shouts, 

[  147  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


Pleading  for  blood,  rang  in  his  ears  again; 
So  mingling  policy  with  his  contempt 
For  these  unscrupulous   sticklers   for  revenge, 
Had  his  carved  throne  brought  from  the  hall 

and  placed 

Before  the  great  Praetorium,  and  there 
On  a  raised  dais  in  the  paven  space, 
First  sending  for  not-present  Sanhedrists, 
'Gan  to  extemporize  with  them,  and  thus: 

"  Men  of  Judea  and  Jerusalem ! 
What  will  ye  more?     Whom  ye  accused  but  now 
Before  me,  as  a  breeder  of  sedition 
And  claiming  kingship  in  this  goodly  province, 
I  did  examine,  as  well  privately 
As  in  my  invitation  of  your  proofs 
Which  ye  were  barren  of,  and  so  did  find  Him 
Guiltless  of  any  wrong  ye  charged  Him  with. 
Further,  to  satisfy  your  noisy  clamors, 
It  being  mentioned  here  by  some  of  you 
That  this  Man  lived  and  taught  in  Galilee, 
Where  chiefly  He  was  active  in  His  claims 
And  in  His  teachings  and  His  leadership, 
I  sent  Him  unto  Herod,  who,  now  here, 
Might  make  inquiry  of  His  local  doings 
There  in  the  Tetrarchy  of  Galilee, 
His  certain  forum,  under  these  same  charges ; 
He  hath  acquitted  Him  and  sent  Him  back 
[  1*8] 


AGAIN  BEFORE  PILATE 


To   bide   our  further  action.     Now   what   say 
ye?" 

Before  the  throng  had  gathered  up  its  thoughts, 
Broken  to  whisperings  among  themselves 
By  this  plain  statement  of  the  premises, 
Which  in  all  justice  was  the  end  of  it, 
A  youthful  page,  a  pretty  Roman  boy 
With  golden  curls  and  merry,  dancing  eyes, 
Stepped  lightly  to  the  throne  and  bowing  low, 
Then    straight'ning    up    his    graceful,    supple 

figure, 

Handed  to  Pilate  a  white  papyrus 
With  gilded  edge  and  traced  with  characters 
Which  Pilate,  blanching,  did  decipher  thus: 
"  My  Lord  Pilatus : 

Greeting  and  good  will ! 
Hearing  report  this  morning  before  sun 
That  His  own  people  had  laid  hands  on  Him 
Who  is  called  Jesus,  Him  of  Nazareth, 
And  that  they  seek  His  life  by  law,  through  thee 
To  carry  out  their  sentence  to  the  Cross, 
I  wish  to  tell  thee  that  I  saw  this  Man 
Once  in  the  street  proceeding  to  the  Temple, 
And  heard   Him   make   some   utterance   to   the 

people, 

And  never  have  by  either  look  or  speech 
Seen  one  that  so  profoundly  did  impress  me. 

[  149  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


"  Last  night  I  dreamed  of  Him,  after  the  mid- 
night 

(And  I  do  seldom  dream  at  any  time) ; 
I  saw  Him  in  my  vision  scourged  and  bleeding, 
A  crown  of  thorns  plaited  about  His  brow, 
And  every  thorn  seemed  like  a  tiny  dagger 
Stabbing  His  tender  flesh,  which  did  respond 
By  small  red  rills  coursing  down  His  pale  face, 
While  maddened  men  vociferously  cried, 
'  Crucify !      Crucify !      He    is     condemned    to 
death!' 

"  Ere  this  I'd  heard  the  vagabond,  homeless  dogs 

Baying  the  moon,  so  long,  so  pitifully, 

That  I  rose  from  my  couch,  and  through  the 

lattice 

Looked  out  upon  the  city  in  its  sleep, 
And   wondering   what   did   trouble    these   poor 

brutes, 

I  let  my  gaze  play  truant  far  and  near. 
Out  o'er  the  shadowy  slopes  of  Olivet 
I  also  heard  the  jackals  bark  and  snarl 
As  though  disturbed  in  their  night  wanderings, 
And  saw  strange,  twinkling  lights  mix  with  the 

moonshine, 

Shuttling  about  in  it,  and  this  way  moving 
Till  they  were  shut  out  by  the  city  wall. 
Lifting  my  gaze  well  up  toward  the  zenith 
[  150  ] 


AGAIN  BEFORE  PILATE 


Of  the  blue  concave  of  the  eastern  heavens, 
I  noted  a  white  star,  flashing  and  brilliant, 
And  while  I  looked  upon  it,  it  dulled  out 
So  that  it  seemed  to  me  to  fade  away, 
Leaving  but  naked  sky  where  it  had  been, 
And  I  was  startled,  till  it  flashed  again 
iFrom  nothing  to  full  radiance  in  the  blue. 
Then  on  returning  to  my  couch  again, 
Came  the  dreamed  horrors  I  have  written  of. 
And  now  the  story  of  Calpurnia 
Pleading  with  the  great  Julius  for  his  safety 
Is  heavy  on  me,  and  I  fear  for  Him, 
This  Nazarene.     Have  nothing  thou  to  do 
With  that  just  Man,  except  to  free  Him  only, 
For  I  have  suffered,  suffered  many  things 
This  day  from  this  same  dream,  because  of  Him. 
So  pardon  me !     Oh,  let  them  not  on  thee 
Fix  the  red  stain  of  His  most  innocent  blood ! 
So  also  earn  my  lasting  gratitude. 
Thy  wife  and  lover, 

Claudia  Procula." 

Now  Pilate  being  troubled,  wishing  to  do 
Substantial  justice  to  the  Prisoner, 
Yet  vastly  fearful  of  the  consequence 
Of  rousing  the  resentment  of  the  throng 
Against  himself,  vouched  this  concession, 
Thinking  to  that  extent  to  appease  their  wrath, 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


Waiving  insistence  on  the  prisoner's  rights 

In  their  full  letter,  spake  to  the  throng,  and 

thus: 
"  I    will    therefore    chastise    Him    and    release 

Him." 

(For  of  necessity  he  must  release 
On  this  recurrence  of  the  Passover 
One  under  sentence  and  awaiting  death). 
Then  the  keen  priests  and  zealots  in  the  throng, 
Knowing  the  custom,  and  discovering 
Weak  Pilate's  purpose  in  thus  tying  up 
His    own    prerogatives    with    their    'stablished 

rights, 

Induced  the  throng  to  call  for  the  release 
Of  one  Bar- Abbas,  then  condemned  to  death 
For  murder  in  sedition,  on  the  Cross. 
And  so  the  throng  cried  out  in  fiendish  chorus, 
"  Away  with  this  man,  and  release  to  us 
Bar-Abbas." 

Pilate,  however,  willing 
To  free  the  Master,  spake  again  to  them 
To    that    same    purport,    but    they    cried    out, 

saying, 
"  Crucify  Him !     Crucify  Him !  " 

And  then 

With  weak  insistence,  and  for  the  third  time  — 
Himself  on  trial  now  in  his  own  court, 
Begging  for  justice  of  a  mob  tribunal: 
[  152  ] 


AGAIN  BEFORE  PILATE 


"  Why   now,   what   evil   hath   He   done?     I've 

found 

In  Him  no  cause  for  death !    I  will  chastise  Him, 
Therefore,  and  let  Him  go."     But  they  cried 

out 

The  more,  saying,  "  Let  Him  be  crucified !  " 
And  Pilate  fearing,  and  prevailing  naught, 
But  rather  feeding  more  the  rising  tumult, 
Called  for  a  crock  of  water,  and  before  them  — 
The  priests  and  elders  and  the  multitude  — 
With   nervous   fingers   washed  his   outstretched 

hands, 

Saying  in  witness  as  he  faced  them  all : 
"  I  am  innocent  of  the  blood  of  this 
Most  righteous  Man,  and  now  see  ye  to  it ! " 
And  they,  persistent  still,  called  out  to  him: 
"  His  blood  be  on  us  and  upon  our  children ! " 
Then  he  released  to  them  the  man  Bar-Abbas, 
But  Christ  he  ordered  scourged  —  scourged  and 

condemned ; 
But  still  reserved  one  more  expedient. 

Then  the  imprisoned  murderer,  released, 

Came  forward  to  them  there,  brought  from  his 

cell. 

Rugged  and  firm  of  jaw,  of  upright  frame, 
Betokening  giant  strength,  full  bearded, 
With  deep-set,  midnight  eyes,  seeming  afire 
[  153  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


With  lofty  scorn  and  deep  impenitence, 
And  glowering  under  overhanging  brows 
Shaggy  and  grim,  and  as  he  there  so  came, 
Hung  from  his  loins  he  wore  a  leathern  kilt, 
A  fox's  skin  hung  o'er  his  massive  shoulders 
Fastened  with  sharp  thorn  skewer  at  the  throat. 
Only  the   crisp,  curled  hair,  brown  and  abun- 
dant, 

Covered  his  head,  and  on  the  sinewy  feet 
Stout  leathern  sandals  firmly  laced  in  place, 
Completed  his  apparel.     And  so  met 
The  criminal,  released  to  liberty, 
And  the  Messiah,  thus  consigned  to  death, 
Still  in  another's  stead  to  bleed  and  suffer. 
And  for  a  moment  only,  their  eyes  meet 
There  on  the  thronged  pave,  the  One  in  pity, 
In  love,  in  resignation.     Both  are  silent. 
The   hardened   lines   slip    from   the   murderer's 

face, 

The  look  of  scorn  melts  from  both  eye  and  lip, 
And  then  the  bearded  lips  are  tremulous, 
Stirred   with   some    deep   emotion   and    remem- 
brance, 

And  he  essays  to  speak  —  the  pardoned  one  — 
To  the  Condemned,  but  though  the  strong  lips 

move 

There  is  no  sound,  and  so  Bar- Abbas, 
The  great  tears  hiding  in  the  bearded  cheeks, 
[  154  ] 


AGAIN  BEFORE  PILATE 


The    murderer    ransomed    by    the    Christ    con- 
demned, 

Strides  off  to  freedom,  leaving  but  his  name: 
"  Son  of  the  Father  " —  self  of  every  man. 

And  Jesus?     He  was  bound  and  publicly 
And  cruelly  and  mercilessly  scourged, 
And  women  fainted  at  the  sight  of  it, 
While  Pilate  cursed  his  own  impotency. 
When  the  dread  flagellation  was  at  end, 
The  soldiers  led  Him  back  into  the  court 
Which  is  Praetorium,  called  their  whole  band, 
And  clothed  Him  there  in  purple  for  a  show, 
Took  Herod's  crown  of  thorns  and  put  it  on 

Him, 

And  placed  within  His  hand  a  hollow  reed 
For  scepter,  and  with  heartless  jeers  and  taunts 
Saluted    Him:     "Hail,    King!     King    of    the 

Jews!" 

And  bowed  to  Him  their  knees  in  mockery 
As  if  to  worship  Him,  then  spat  upon  Him, 
And  smote  Him  with  the  reed  and  with  their 

hands, 

Till  Pilate  thinking  still  to  succor  Him 
And  make  amends,  and  call  again  once  more 
On  the  dead  pity  of  the  multitude, 
Did  bring  Him  forth,  wounded  and  sore  and 

bleeding, 

[  155  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


Wearing  the  purple  garb  and  crown  of  thorns, 
And  in  the  indignation  of  his  soul, 
Half  in  impatience  from  his  scorn  of  self: 
"  Behold,  again  I  bring  Him  out  to  you 
That  ye  may  know  I  find  no  crime  in  Him." 
And  so  as  He  stood  forth  did  Pilate  then, 
Looking  upon  the  Uncomplaining  One, 
Struck  by  His  bearing  and  mute  majesty, 
Cry  out  the  thrilling  words : 

"Behold  the  Man!" 

And  when  the  chief  priests  and  the  officers 
Saw  Him  they  feared  for  Pilate's  clemency, 
And  cried  out,  "  Crucify  Him !    Crucify  Him !  " 
And  Pilate: 

"  Take  ye  Him  yourselves, 
And  crucify  Him  if  it  pleaseth  you, 
For  I  find  no  fault  in  Him,  and  no  crime." 

Then  the  Jews  answered  him,  "  We  have  a  law 
And  by  that  law  He  surely  ought  to  die, 
Because  He  made  Himself  the  Son  of  God. 
Thou  knowest  'tis  not  lawful  for  the  Jews 
To  put  a  man  to  death,  under  the  law. 
If  'twere,  for  this  thing  had  we  punished  Him; 
Then  why  sayst  thou  to  us,  '  Ye  crucify?"* 

[  156] 


AGAIN  BEFORE  PILATE 


Now  Pilate,  when  he  heard  the  asserted  claim 
That  Jesus  made  Himself  the  Son  of  God, 
Was  yet  the  more  afraid,  and  went  with  Him 
Once  more  into  the  palace,  and  there  said  to 

Him, 

"Whence  art  Thou?"     Still  the   Master  an- 
swered not. 

Then  Pilate:     "  Speakest  Thou  not  unto  me? 
Know'st  not  that  I  have  power  to  release  Thee 
And  power  also  still  to  crucify  ?  " 
And  then  spake  Jesus  in  mild  deference, 
"  Thou  wouldst  have  no  power  at  all  against  Me, 
Were  it  not  given  to  thee  from  above, 
So  he  that  did  deliver  Me  to  thee 
Hath  greater  sin." 

Now  Pilate  was  abashed 
And  much  perplexed,  and  sought  still  to  release 

Him, 

But  the  Jews  cried  aimlessly  against  it,  till 
Some  calculating  leader  raised  the  shout: 
"  If  thou  release  this  Man  thou  art  not  friend 
Of  Caesar,  under  whom  thou  servest  here, 
For  whoso  maketh  of  himself  a  king 
Speaketh  against  the  Caesar." 

And  then  Pilate, 
Bringing  him  forth,  resumed  his  judgment  seat, 

[  157  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


And     with     fierce     sarcasm  —  to     goad     their 

pride  — 

Edged  with  the  bitter  poison  of  self -scorn 
As  his  weak  courage  slowly  oozed  away 
Under      the      charge      implied  —  treason      to 

Caesar  — 

Which  drowned  his  just  intentions  once  again, 
Drew  their  attention  to  the  Thorn-Crowned  One 
Standing  oblivious  to  their  petty  play, 
While  he   called  to   the   Jews,   "  Behold  your 

King!" 

And  they  retorted  in  yet  fiercer  shouts, 
"  Away  with  Him !     Away  and  crucify  Him !  " 
Then  Pilate:     "Shall  I  crucify  your  King?" 
And  they,  O  shame!  (who  daily  cried  for  free- 
dom, 

With  bitter  hatred  of  the  rule  of  Rome) 
Voiced  the  slaves'  shout :     "  We  have  no  king 

but  Caesar !  " 

Then  the  base,  trembling  judge  delivered  Him 
(And  under  the  authority  of  Rome) 
Unto  their  hatred  to  be  crucified. 


[  158  ] 


STAGE  VII 
THE  CRUCIFIXION 

NOW  to  the  legionaries'  custody 
Was   there   delivered  up   the   Christ   con- 
demned, 

Sentenced  to  horrid  death  upon  the  Cross 
By  one  who  still  declared  His  innocence, 
And  doubtless  did  believe  what  he  proclaimed, 
But  gave  Him  not  the  benefit  of  it. 
And  now  again  the  heartless   soldiers   mocked 

Him, 

And  stript  Him  of  the  purple  robe ;  the  crown, 
Its  thorns  and  branches  clotted  with  His  blood, 
They  threw  aside,  and  on  Him  put  again 
His  own  plain,  simple  garments.     On  His  shoul- 
ders, 

Still  bleeding  from  the  lacerating  scourge, 
They  placed  the  heavy  Cross  which  was  to  bear 
His  living  body  in  its  dying  hours, 
Then  shouting  hoarsely,  urged  Him  on  with  it 
Towards  the  skull-shaped  hill  of  Calvary. 
But  now  exhausted  from  the  loss  of  blood 
And  loss  of  sleep  and  loss  of  sympathy  — 
For  the  whole  world  seemed  to  abandon  Him  — 
He  bent  beneath  the  burden  of  its  weight 
And  scarce  could  bear  it  up,  but  staggered  on 

[  159  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


Till  a  stout  countryman,  who,  passing  near 
(Simon,  a  pilgrim  there  from  far  Gyrene), 
The  legionaries  pressed  to  bear  His  load 
And  follow  after,  to  forestall  delay, 
Pricking  him  to  it  with  their  pointed  spears. 
Not  he  reluctant  to  assume  Christ's  burden, 
But  shrank  from  touch  of  the  accursed  tree, 
Yet  now  he  followed  Him  with  stooping  shoul- 
ders 

And  downward  gaze,  noting  the  ruddy  drops 
That  sprinkled  His  sad  path  to  Golgotha, 
To  there  be  offered  up  a  sacrifice 
On  the  crossed  altar  for  the  whole  world's  sins. 
So  as  they  passed,  a  mighty  multitude 
Did  follow  Him,  and  women  of  the  city, 
Wringing  their  hands,  wailed  and  lamented  Him, 
But  Jesus,  turning  sadly,  said  to  them: 
"  Ye  daughters  of  Jerusalem,  weep  not, 
Weep  not  for  Me,  but  weep  ye  for  yourselves 
And  for  your  children ;  for  behold  the  days 
Are  surely  coming  in  which  they  shall  say, 
*  Blessed  are  the  barren,  wombs  that  never  bare, 
And  so  the  breasts  that  never  did  give  suck ;' 
Then  shall  they  say  to  mountains,  *  Fall  on  us ! ' 
And  to  the  silent  hills,  '  O  cover  us ! ' 
For  if  they  do  these  things  in  the  green  tree, 
What  shall  there  likely  be  done  in  the  dry?  " 

[  160  ] 


THE  CRUCIFIXION 


And  when  they  came  to  the  allotted  place, 
They  nailed  the  Master  to  the  bitter  Cross, 
And  so,  on  either  side,  a  malefactor, 
Which  Jesus  seeing,  understood  the  insult 
They  sought  to  put  upon  Him  even  in  death, 
Yet  murmured  not,  but  in  His  torture: 

"  Father, 

Forgive  them,  for  they  know  not  what  they  do." 
So  He  begged  mercy  for  His  enemies 
And  full  forgiveness  for  His  persecutors, 
And  while  the  prayer  is  still  upon  His  lips, 
And  He  in  agony  nailed  to  the  Cross, 
About  its  foot  the  heartless  Roman  guard 
Gamble  for  the  division  of  His  raiment 
With   cold  indifference  and  ribald  jests. 

Now  Pilate  had  writ,  partly  in  sullen  awe 
And  in  deep  admiration  of  the  Man, 
Partly  in  scorn  of  His  fierce  persecutors 
And  their  unwearying  hatred  of  the  Master, 
This  superscription  in  three  several  tongues, 
That  all  might  understand  and  notice  it, 
And  fixed  it  on  His  cross  above  His  head: 

"  THIS  IS  JESUS  THE  KING KING  OF  THE  JEWS." 

So  did  the  weakling  triumph  in  defeat, 
Serving  unwittingly  the  cause  of  God, 
And   answering   his    own    question,    "  What   is 
truth?" 

[  161  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


The  truth  he  thus  judicially  declared, 
For  so  the  law  required  that  whoso  suffered 
Upon  the  Cross,  his  crime  should  be  inscribed 
Upon  a  placard  fixed  above  his  head : 
So  this  the  fact  and  this  the  sole  offense. 

King    of    the    Jews?     Yea,    King    of    all    the 

World ! 

And  Crown  Prince  of  the  Universe  as  well. 
But  they  recked  not  His  spiritual  kingdom, 
And  so  took  umbrage  at  the  written  findings 
And  were  appalled  and  branded  regicides. 
So  the  rank  failure  of  their  foul  success 
Blanched  many  a  cheek  and  stifled  many  a  heart 
That  erst  beat  but  in  wrath ;  but  some  did  rally 
From  their  dismay,  and  said  half  pleadingly, 
Half  in  shamefaced  confusion,  unto  Pilate, 
After  they'd  read  the  fateful  superscription, 
"  Write  it  not  flatly  thus :     «  The  King  of  the 

Jews,' 

But  that  He  said,  '  I  am  the  King  of  the  Jews.'  " 
Then  Pilate,  turning  on  them  stolidly: 
"  What   I   have   written,   I   have   written.     Ye 

hypocrites, 

Now  bear  your  portion  in  this  day's  foul  work ! 
Dream  ye  of  blood,  and  sacrificial  robes ! 
Rant  ye  of  Galileans  slain  by  me, 
Then  dream  again  of  Him  now  on  the  Cross 
[  162] 


THE  CRUCIFIXION 


By  your  insistence  and  your  venomous  threats, 
And  my  own  worse,  perhaps.     Go  watch  Him 

die." 
So  he  dismissed  them  fiercely,  and  strode   off. 

Yet  many  about  the  Cross  reviled  Him  still, 
Some  wagged  their  heads  at  Him  as  they  passed 

by, 

And  some  of  these  were  chief  priests,  some  were 

scribes, 

Some  learned  elders,  fallen  to  mockery, 
Like  graceless  beggars  without  shame  or  fear, 
Admitting  His  great  works  upon  a  time 
That  so  they  might  belittle  Him  by  contrast: 
"  Others  He  saved,  Himself  He  cannot  save. 
If  He  is  Israel's  King,  let  Him  come  down 
From  off  the  Cross,  and  we'll  believe  on  Him. 
He  also  said,  '  I  am  the  Son  of  God ! ' 
Let  God  deliver  Him,  if  God  desire  Him." 
Even  the  robbers  in  their  agony, 
Like  Him  expiring  in  slow  torture  there, 
Joined  in  the  passing  current  of  reproach 
Their  own  revilings,  but  He  answered  not 
To  them,  or  any,  until  one  of  them, 
Struck  by  His  boundless  love  and  lasting  pa- 
tience, 

Warmed  in  his  heart  toward  Him  as  o'er  his  soul 
Streamed  the  effulgence  of  a  living  faith, 
[  163  1 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


And  he  rebuked  his  fellow,  calling  out, 

"  We  do  but  suffer  justly,  so  receiving 

The  due  reward  of  our  own  evil  deeds ; 

But  this  Man  surely  hath  done  naught  amiss." 

And  he  believed  on  Him,  and  turning  said, 

"  Jesus,  remember  me  when  soon  thou  comest 

Into  Thy  Kingdom." 

And  then  Christ,  intent: 
"  I  say  it  unto  thee,  yea  verily 
To-day  thou'lt  be  with  Me  in  Paradise." 

From  the   sixth  hour  crept  darkness   o'er  the 

land, 

Men  saw  each  other  dimly  through  the  gloom, 
And  the  earth  quaked  and  moved  in  creeping 

waves 

Like  swelling  waters  on  a  half -calmed  sea, 
And  rocks  were  rent,  and  the  parched  ground 

was  riven, 
And    tombs    were    burst    asunder;    from    their 

graves 

Many  arose  that  had  long  slept  in  death, 
And  some  entered  again  the  Holy  City, 
Upon  the  darkened  streets  appearing  to  many. 
Within  the  Temple  was  the  great  veil  rent 
(Hanging  as  'twas  before  the  Holy  Place) 
From  top  to  bottom,  as  if  shorn  asunder 
By  some  omnipotent  arm  with  keen-edged  blade. 
[164] 


THE  CRUCIFIXION 


Now  was  there  standing  near  unto  His  Cross 
The  mother  of  the  Christ,  and  so  her  sister, 
Mary  the  wife  of  Clopas,  and  that  Mary, 
Loving  so  much,  even  she  of  Magdalene; 
And  when  He  saw  His  mother  lingering  there, 
And  John,  the  lone  disciple,  whom  he  loved  — 
Most  faithful  of  the  Twelve,  and  yet  not  blame- 
less — 

He  spoke  unto  the  first,  and  solemnly : 
"  Woman,  behold  thy  son !  " 

and  unto  John: 
"Behold  thy  mother!" 

and  both  understood, 
And  were  of  the  same  household  from  that  hour. 

Then  called  He  from  the  all-surrounding  gloom 

And  fierce  storm  of  derision  and  rude  scoffings, 

In  a  loud  voice  appealing  unto  God, 

In  tones  that  thrilled  and  quivered  on  the  air, 

And  shook  with  vibrant  pain  His  prison  post, 

"Eli,  Eli,  Lama  Sabachthani  ?  " 

Which  in  the  wording  of  our  mother  tongue: 

"My    God,   My   God,   why'st   Thou   forsaken 

Me?" 

And  then  again  was  silent  for  a  time. 
But    some    who    heard    it,    said,    "  He    called 

Elijah," 

[  165  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


And  unto  one  that  offered  to  Him  drink, 
"  Stay !     Let  us  see  if  Elijah  succor  Him." 

But  knowing  now  that  all  things  were  accom- 
plished 

And  come  to  pass  according  to  the  Word, 
He  for  a  moment  thought  upon  Himself, 
And  in  the  burning  agony  of  death 
Spake  simply  so: 

"  I  thirst." 

And  one 

There  of  the  soldiers  unto  His  parched  lips 
Lifted  a  sponge  laden  with  vinegar 
Upon  a  hyssop  stalk,  and  tasting  it 
He  murmured, 

"It  is  finished!" 

and  was  still. 

Then  with  one  loud  and  inarticulate  cry, 
And  trembling  of  the  flesh,  He  bowed  His  head, 
And  gave  His  spirit  up  again  to  God. 
And  when  He'd  uttered,  the  Centurion 
And  others  of  the  guard  in  charge  of  Him 
Said,  "  Of  a  truth,  this  was  the  Son  of  God," 
And  they  and  others  so  believed  on  Him. 

So  did  His  death  bring  converts  to  His  cause, 
And  so  His  death  was  greater  than  His  life, 
In  that  it  proved  the  grandeur  of  His  life, — 
[  166  ] 


THE  CRUCIFIXION 


Its  deep  unselfishness,  its  conquering  love, 
Its  horror  of  the  hatefulness  of  sin, 
Its  brimming  mercy  and  sweet,  swift  forgiveness 
To  all  who  craved  it,  leaving  sin  behind, 
Its  tireless  zeal  in  calling  to  repentance 
The  wayward  and  abandoned  of  the  world, 
Its  lessons  that  the  value  of  all  souls 
Is  equal  in  the  spiritual  scales  of  God 
Without  regard  to  those  who  harbor  them, 
And  that  men's  souls  are  worth  God's  sacrifice, 
Even  in  the  person  of  His  Holy  Son. 

But  now  as  His  head  sank  with  His  last  cry, 
And  all  the  multitude  saw  what  was  done, 
Deep  fear  and  sorrow  seized  upon  the  throng 
And  they  moved  mournfully  back  toward  the 

City, 

Offering  aloud  to  God  in  pleading  tones 
Belated  prayers  for  Him  they  'd  crucified, 
Beating  their  breasts  in  frenzy  of  despair 
For  all  the  ills  done  on  that  fateful  day ; 
But  not  the  priests  and  scribes  and  Sadducees 
Joined    in    their    wailings.     These    bethinking 

them 

That  in  that  time  the  Christ  could  scarce  be  dead, 
Yet  wishing  it,  and  that  without  delay, 
That  on  the  approaching  Sabbath,  not  a  cross 
Should  still  be  burdened  with  its  awful  load, 
[  167  ] 


THE  TRIAL  OF  CHRIST 


Pleaded  with  Pilate  that  the  three  be  slain 
If  that  they  still  survived,  so  that  their  bodies 
Might  be  in  earth  with  the  retiring  sun. 
So    were   the    culprits    slain,   their   legs    being 

broken ; 
Death  came  in  the  rude  shock,  but  Christ  had 

passed. 

Still  to  make  sure,  a  member  of  the  guard 
Thrust  his  keen  spear  into  the  Savior's  side, 
And  the  returning  point  was  followed  out 
By  the  pure  ransoming  blood  of  The  Great 

Heart, 

Mixed  in  clear  serum  where  the  golden  bowl 
Had  rested  in  its  life's  activities, 
Showing  that  for  men's  trespasses  and  sins, 
And  their  ingratitude  for  all  He'd  done, 
And  their  rude  scorning  of  His  proffered  Love, 
Even  on  the  Cross  in  torturing  agony, 
The  Son  of  Man  died  of  a  broken  heart. 


[168] 


REC'D  LD 

. 

JUN4    1969 


Berkel 


304039 


0 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


